The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has recognized a CSX employee with the John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award for his outstanding environmental leadership, especially in the area of fuel efficiency.
Suneil Kuthiala is a director of advanced engineering at CSX and has 14 years of service with the company in positions across engineering and technology. Currently, Kuthiala oversees the implementation and development of a technology solution, GE’s Trip Optimizer, to improve fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
“CSX has a strong record of industry leadership around environmental excellence, and I’m proud to see Suneil recognized with this distinguished award,” Carl Gerhardstein, assistant vice president of public health, safety and environment, said in a news release. “At CSX, we believe that how you get there matters, and Suneil and his team are leading drastic fuel efficiency improvements that minimize CSX’s impact on the environment while simultaneously reducing the company’s fuel spend.”
Trip Optimizer uses technology to identify fuel efficiency opportunities. Driven by Suneil’s leadership, Trip Optimizer is helping CSX deliver on its goal to further reduce GHG emission intensity six to eight percent over 2011 levels by 2020. Currently, Trip Optimizer yields a 174,000-ton average reduction in GHG emissions annually, the equivalent of taking more than 36,000 cars off the road in a single year. CSX has saved 11.8 million gallons of fuel because of the program.
“The major fuel-efficiency benefits we’ve seen from this program are a testament to the Trip Optimizer team’s dedicated efforts and focus on the environment,” John Hart, assistant vice president, process excellence, said in a news release. “This program is changing the way CSX uses technology to improve operational, financial and environmental performance.”
The annual Chafee Environmental Excellence Award is named for the late Rhode Island senator who devoted his career to protecting the environment. Kuthiala is the ninth CSX employee to win this award.
