Expo Astana: GreenRail looking for opportunities in Kazakhstan

Astana - Green energy for Kazakhstan rail system: it's the main goal of Greenrail, Milan-based green technology company that has presented its innovative technology in Energy Best Practices Area during the Astana EXPO 2017. The Greenrail has been involved in innovative sleepers for railways and has recently developed Greenrail Solar, wherein the track sleepers are equipped with a solar photovoltaic module that can generate up to 150 kWh of solar energy for every track km. This can provide energy to the railway station or the grid. The company employs 12 staff and the company plans to test and install its technology on the first kilometer of rail track in Northern Italy. Earlier Greenrail received a grant from the EU Horizon 2020 program for the amount of 2.5 million EURO to conduct research and currently Greenrail plans to expand cooperation with the Kazakh Railway Company. 
"We are small company, but we plan to expand - said Firas Bunni, Chief Technological Officer of Greenrail in an interview with AGI at the side of Expo 2017. "Our project is interesting not only for Italian market, but also for the whole world (Asia, Africa). They will develop new rail lines and they will need our technology. Once we understood that our project was a large scale one we decided to divide our business in two parts. The first one is that we protect our technology by applying for patents. We have patents in more than 80 countries in the world. The second important part is to develop our internal competence. That means that we can answer all technical questions in such countries as Kazakhstan to any clients in the design of any kind of sleepers or rails. For the Kazakh Market, just today we had a meeting with the local major company who showed interest not in just protection of sleepers but in the whole project that could allow to recycle plastic and tires". 

"I have traveled to Kazakhstan 3 times for the total period of the whole month that shows that our project is interesting to local and international clients. The major client here is the railway company of Kazakhstan. They told us that they were really interested in our project. They plan to build new railway lines. We made a roadmap with the Kazakh company. Before the end of 2017 year we hope to sign a memorandum and start working. The construction of one kilometer of our sleepers requires 35 tons of recycle materials. Hence, if we start working in Kazakhstan we will need to develop links with the local recycle companies" said the manager. 
"Italy is one of the leaders in renewable energy and recycling industry. In Italy we recycle up to 80% of all plastic materials and I believe that Italian companies can provide valuable expertise to Kazakhstan in such spheres". "Our cooperation with Kazakhstan is very important for us - he added -. In the country there are plans to build new railway lines and we try to persuade the local Kazakh companies to use our technologies. Our product can guarantee a higher life expectancy of rail line and it can save huge amount of money. In the world we do not have competitors and we hope to sell our technology to the whole world".