(26/11/2021)
The aim is to test the replacement of diesel engines with a source of clean energy, such as hydrogen. When converted, the Civia unit, with electric traction, will also be able to circulate on non-electrified sections.
Once the installation of the bi-mode propulsion (electric and hydrogen) has been completed on the unit, by mid-2022, a test period will begin with the prototype in order to verify the capacities of hydrogen applied to railway traction.
FCH2Rail Project
The FCH2Rail (Fuel Cell Hybrid Power Pack for Rail Applications) project is funded by the public-private partnership Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), promoted by the European Union, within its Horizon 2020 program. The FCH JU supports research on clean carbon energy technologies, and in particular, the development of the hydrogen fuel cell.
The consortium is made up of the Spanish companies Renfe Operadora, Adif, CAF and the National Hydrogen Centre; the Portuguese IP (Infrastructures of Portugal); Germany’s DLR and STT; and Toyota Motor Europe, which provided the fuel cell system and integration support for the demonstrator train.
The analysis of the viability of the hydrogen train, as well as its integration in a hybrid propulsion system, is the first of the nine work packages in which FCH2Rail is structured. Of these, another six are already underway, including the development of regulations for the new train, safety analysis and communication of the project's achievements.
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