Chapter 1037 Electrification

Ernst: "In 1900, the total mileage of European railways was close to 300,000 kilometers, slightly less than that of the United States. During the First Five-Year Plan in my country, railway construction in European countries was also developing rapidly. Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Russia, and a number of small European countries are further promoting railway transportation construction."

"So even if the Second Five-Year Plan is completed, my country's railways will still have a significant gap with European and American countries. However, with the rise of road transportation and the rapid development of the automobile industry, it is visible to the naked eye that some regional transportation no longer requires separate railway lines."

Before the First Five-Year Plan, Ernst's words may not be very convincing, but after the East African automobile industry took off, the output reached an astonishing million level. Now the East African government has a clearer understanding of the impact of road and other forms of transportation on railways.

"Of course, as Andre said before, my country's inland shipping conditions are far inferior to those of Europe, the United States, and even the Far East Empire, so the important position of railway construction in my country's transportation system cannot be replaced by other forms of transportation."

"So during the Second Five-Year Plan, and even in the future Third and Fourth Five-Year Plans, railway construction will still be an important task in my country's industrial construction field. Even if the East African railway reaches saturation in the future, railway technology will continue to develop, so maintaining railway operations is a long-term task."

"For example, railway electrification can be expected to be an important direction for future railway development. During the Second Five-Year Plan, my country will promote the construction of two experimental electrified railways."

As a relatively young form of transportation, railways are extremely vigorous. In the past, railways would develop in the direction of electrification, and in the 21st century, they will vigorously develop in the direction of high-speed railways. High-speed railways are relatively far away for East Africa, but railway electrification is not the case.

As early as 1879, Siemens and Hals of Germany built the world's first electrified railway, so electrified railways are not far away for the development of the East African railway industry.

However, the East African railway is still in the stage of accumulation, and the road to popularization of electricity is still long. It is definitely impossible to promote electrified railways on a large scale at this stage.

Although it is too early to say that the East African railway is electrified at this stage, East Africa is at the forefront of the world in research and development and preparation in related fields.

"At present, my country's railways are developing from steam power to internal combustion engine power, and electric transmission in internal combustion engine power is the main direction, but the provision of electricity still requires liquid energy such as oil as fuel, and East Africa's oil resources are relatively scarce. Even if the current national oil production can barely meet domestic needs, we must plan for the future."

From the perspective of national defense security and energy security, although East Africa can be self-sufficient in oil at present, the demand for oil in East Africa has increased rapidly, which is also the main reason why East Africa imports a large amount of oil from countries such as Tsarist Russia.

Ernst is more worried about the reserves of East African oil resources, which also makes East Africa at the forefront of the world in the use of other energy sources, such as the promotion of natural gas and electricity, East Africa is far ahead of other countries.

East Africa has huge potential for hydropower and nuclear power, and with technological progress, the future forms of power generation will inevitably be diversified. Therefore, Ernst has always actively promoted the important role of electricity in the field of energy security, and all this requires technological breakthroughs in related fields to be realized.

Ernst went on to say: "The railway department should be brave enough to try new technologies and promote innovation, especially in the field of energy. On the one hand, it should be diversified, and on the other hand, it should actively adapt to the era of electrification. In the new era, internal combustion engine technology and power development are the main characteristics of the world today. Although we are in the forefront of East Africa, we must also have a sense of crisis and cannot stagnate."

Andre: "Your Highness, rest assured that our Ministry of Railways is now in a slowdown in the construction increment. A large part of the resources are invested in the field of scientific research. In 1906 to 1907, two electrified railways can be built."

East Africa's research and development of electrified railway technology began in 1895, more than a decade after the world's first electrified railway, but this does not mean that East Africa is lagging behind in research in this field.

In fact, as time goes by, East Africa has surpassed Germany in relevant technical reserves. Although Germany is a pioneer in electrified railways, German railway companies and government departments are not interested in promoting railway electrification.

At present, coal is still the most important basic energy in the world. Most European railways are still traditional steam locomotives. In this case, countries have almost no worries about energy security. The world's coal resources are abundant, and the distribution is not as concentrated as oil. The output is huge and the price is low.

Although some countries have begun to develop in the direction of diesel locomotives, the European and American people's understanding of oil resources is still immature at this time. Most people believe that oil resources are inexhaustible.

In fact, this is also the case. Even if it develops for another hundred years, oil resources will not be exhausted, but the cost of oil extraction at that time will not be simple.

In short, at present, the German government or railway companies have no need to work hard to promote the construction of electrified railways. Coal and oil resources are abundant and convenient to use. Traditional railways are also cheaper to build and maintain than electrified railways.

This makes the development of electrified railway technology in Germany slow, while East Africa is promoted by Ernst in electrified railway construction, so it is latecomer. If the two electrified railways in East Africa are mature during the Second Five-Year Plan, many railways in East Africa may be electrified in the future.

This means that during the Second Five-Year Plan, the railway manufacturing industry in East Africa will see the co-development of three forms of railways: steam power, internal combustion engine power, and electrification.

It is impossible for East Africa to completely eliminate the first two, especially internal combustion engine locomotives, which have just started in East Africa. It only needs to adjust the proportion in the future to meet the requirements of the times.

Even in the 21st century, many operating railways have not been electrified, both in the Far East and Europe. Therefore, the emergence of electrified railways is not a replacement and inheritance relationship for East African railways, but a diversified development, an important supplement to the original railway system.

In fact, electrification is not only reflected in the railway, but also in the field of rail transportation in East Africa. Electrification is an important development direction, and the automobile industry in East Africa also has similar technical breakthrough projects.

For example, using natural gas or other energy sources to replace oil, electricity is also an important field, which in turn involves research on motors, control systems and electrical storage.

In fact, the emergence of the automobile industry did not start with the internal combustion engine. The steam-powered cars in Europe and the United States were the source. The emergence of the internal combustion engine only realized the replacement of coal with oil for traditional cars, so it is not a fantasy to find a substitute for oil.

The changes in industries such as railways and automobiles in East Africa actually reflect the industrial and social development of East Africa, which is constantly advancing towards electrification.

Today, the internal combustion engine and electricity, the two iconic products of the Second Industrial Revolution, have shown a trend of combination in East African industry and society. Take the automobile manufacturing industry as an example. On the basis of the internal combustion engine as a power source, electronic equipment is also constantly used in vehicles.

Ernst concluded: "Electrification has become one of the main trends in East African social development. Promoting electrification is an important boost to East Africa's progress towards modernization. The degree of electrification is an important reference for whether a country is developed in the future, just like steel production, which can directly reflect the technological and economic conditions of a country or region."

"Therefore, promoting the electrification of East Africa is an important task for my country's industry. This process is extremely long. Before the middle of this century, my country's society should at least achieve the popularization of electricity throughout the society."