The world’s first hydrogen-powered train was inaugurated in Germany on Wednesday, marking a significant step towards green train transport.
A fleet of 14 hydrogen trains powered by fuel cell propulsion will replace the diesel locomotives in the German state of Lower Saxony. The trains will run exclusively on the 100km (60 miles) track connecting the cities of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervoerde and Buxtehude near Hamburg.
Coradia iLint trains
The Coradia iLint hydrogen-powered trains were built by French industrial giant Alstom. State subsidiary Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen (LVNG), the owners of the railway, struck a 93 million-euro ($92.3 million) deal with Alstom to acquire the trains. Gas and engineering company Linde and Elbe-Weser Railways and Transport Company (EVB), which will operate the trains, are also part of the project.
On Wednesday, Lower Saxony's state premier, Stephan Weil, inaugurated the all-hydrogen line at a ceremony in the town of Bremervörde.
“This project is setting a global example, it is an outstanding example for a successful transformation that is 'Made in Lower Saxony,'" Weil told Deutsche Welle (DW), a Germany-based international media outlet.
Emissions-free, low-noise trains
The first commercial test of the hydrogen train on this route was conducted in 2018. Since then, some hydrogen trains have been running on the roughly 100-kilometre route alongside the diesel-powered trains, DW reported.
The fleet — of which five debuted on Wednesday — will replace the 15 diesel trains that currently run on the route by the end of the year. The trains require just 1 kg of hydrogen fuel to do the same as around 4.5 kg of diesel, CNN reported.
The trains emit steam and condensed water from the exhaust, leading to emissions-free and low-noise transport. They can cover 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) or run the entire day on the network on a single tank of hydrogen. The route already has a hydrogen filling station. At their peak, the trains can pick up a maximum speed of 140 kph, or 87mph. In contrast, the regular speeds on the line are only between 80 and 120 kph.
According to Alstom, the project targets to save over 4,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Apart from Germany, the Coradia iLint has been tested in Poland, Austria, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Another German city Frankfurt has ordered 27 such trains for its metropolitan area. Italy has commissioned six trains for use in the northern Lombardy region, while France will get 12 trains for four regions.
