Canadian Pacific unveils first hydrogen fuel-cell locomotive
Clean hydrogen is again proving itself to be the solution of choice for decarbonising industries other technologies cannot reach.
Canadian Pacific, owner of Canada’s second-largest rail network, has released footage of its hydrogen fuel-cell powered locomotive, a first for the North American continent.
The train, converted from a diesel-powered SD40-2F, has debuted on the track and will soon begin field-testing under the name H20EL (Hydrogen Zero-Emission Locomotive), Canadian Pacific said.
Like its diesel predecessor, the H20EL locomotive will haul freight across Canada and the United States on Canadian Pacific’s 20,000 km of track. The engine is powered by a combination of fuel cells from Ballard Power Systems and batteries.
Earlier in January, Canadian Pacific ordered an additional eight 200 kW fuel-cell modules from Ballard as it seeks to convert another two locomotives this year. It also plans to build its own hydrogen production and refuelling facilities in Calgary and Edmonton, including an electrolyser.
Canadian Pacific announced its hydrogen program in December 2020, noting at the time almost all of North America’s freight-rail fleet is powered by diesel, making it a significant source of greenhouse emissions as well as other polluting particles.
Like its diesel predecessor, the H20EL locomotive will haul freight across Canada and the United States on Canadian Pacific’s 20,000 km of track.
Rail is already a more efficient and environmentally friendly way of moving people and goods. While it accounts for about 8% of the world’s motorised passenger movements and 7% of freight transport, it uses just 2% of the world’s transport energy demand, according to the International Energy Agency.
Those numbers are likely to improve even further as already electrified lines become powered by renewable energy – replacing just one diesel regional train with one hydrogen train reduces annual CO2 emissions equivalent to 400 cars – but huge swathes of rail network have not been electrified and thus continue to rely on diesel.
In the UK, just 42% of the track is electrified and the UK government wants to phase out the diesel-powered locomotives that ply the rest of the network by 2040. Hydrogen is leading the race to replace those diesel trains, which make up about one third of the British fleet.
The UK’s first hydrogen-powered train made its maiden journey in September 30 and was showcased at COP26 in Glasgow last November.
The UK’s first hydrogen-powered train made its maiden journey in September 30 and was showcased at COP26 in Glasgow last November.
A few days later, Alstom, the largest train manufacturer in the UK, signed an MOU with British rolling stock owner Eversholt Rail to deliver the UK’s first new hydrogen train fleet. The 10 three-car trains will be designed by Alstom and built in Britain once contracts are signed early this year.
Alstom has already designed and built a regional passenger train – the Coradia iLint – for the continental European market. It has been tested in regular passenger service in Germany since 2018 and 14 of the are due to be delivered beginning in 2022. Austrian Federal Railways began a similar test in 2020.
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