China's first intelligent heavy-haul electric locomotive officially rolled off the product line in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province, May 9, 2024. (Photo/China News Service)

China's first intelligent heavy-haul electric locomotive officially rolled off the product line in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province on Thursday.

It is the world's most powerful permanent magnet direct drive electric heavy-haul freight train with a maximum towing power of 10,400 kilowatts.

Compared with a traditional electric locomotive, this newly produced model can increase capacity by nearly 1,200 metric tons, and annual capacity by nearly 280,000 metric tons.

The eight-axle locomotive is equipped with the world's first high-power silicon carbide converter with adjustable switching frequencies ranging from 500 hertz to 2,000 Hz, which can adapt to more complex power grid conditions.

With three world-leading technologies, the freight train can save 330,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year while its drive overhaul intervals are increased from 1.2 million kilometers to 2.4 million kilometers.