France climbs aboard hydrogen train revolution

France is joining the hydrogen train revolution, the head of state rail operator SNCF said Thursday, announcing an order for 15 emissions-free regional trains to replace polluting diesel models.

Hydrogen trains are equipped with fuel cells that produce electricity through a combination of hydrogen and oxygen.

Germany was the first country to roll out the technology a year ago, deploying two trains built by French TGV-maker Alstom on a 100-kilometre (62-mile) stretch of rail in the country's north.

"We hope that in a few weeks... we will sign an order to build 15 hydrogen trains," SNCF chief executive Guillaume Pepy told France's BFM news channel, adding that he hoped the trains would be in service in "about two years."

While hydrogen trains are far greener than diesel models, until now France has had a problem with obtaining "clean" hydrogen, with 95 percent of the hydrogen used in the country obtained from natural gas.

Alstom has proposed to adapt the model adopted by Germany for the SNCF by using use a mix of electricity and hydrogen.

Pepy said that he aimed to get the French government, SNCF, Alstom and six regions interested in having eco-friendly trains crisscross their territory around a table "in a few weeks" to finalise the Alstom order.

Pepy said the SNCF's objective was "to have not a single diesel (train) left on French railroads in 15 years."

Apart from hydrogen, French railways also plan to replace some all-diesel models with new diesel-electric hybrid trains in the northeast, west and south of the country in 2021.

liu/cb/js/wai

ALSTOM

Related Links
Great Train Journey's of the 21st Century

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

Malaysia resumes $10-bn China-backed rail project
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) July 25, 2019
Malaysia on Thursday restarted a $10-billion, China-backed rail project that is part of Beijing's global infrastructure drive following its suspension last year when a corruption-plagued government was ejected from power. The 640-kilometre (400-mile) line will link northeast Malaysia, near the Thai border, to the country's main port on the busy Strait of Malacca in the west, forming part of a network it is hoped will eventually run from southern China right through Southeast Asia. At a ceremony ... read more