The Port of Virginia and Norfolk Southern have collaborated to launch the RailGreen program, an emission reduction program for freight rail.
Cargo owners using Norfolk Southern’s daily service to and from The Virginia Inland Port, the Port of Virginia’s intermodal terminal in Front Royal, can participate in RailGreen. Under the program, customers purchase RailGreen certificates to apply toward supply chain emissions. Locomotives using low-carbon biofuel generate certificates, and the more certificates that are purchased the more biofuel Norfolk Southern will acquire.
123Carbon, an independent book-and-claim platform, would provide third-party validation verifying carbon-reducing activities and ensuring each metric ton of reduced emission is tracked to avoid double counting. The company will provide environmental attribute certificates.
“Rail is already the most sustainable way to transport goods over land, and we’re not resting on that advantage,” Ed Elkins, Norfolk Southern EVP & Chief Commercial Officer, said. “By working with The Port of Virginia, we’ve created a green-shipping solution for customers transporting goods to and from the coast.”
The RailGreen program builds on Norfolk Southern’s sustainable initiatives. It operates a 22-state freight transportation network.
The Port of Virginia is the first port on the East Coast to power its terminals with 100 percent clean energy.