To comply with assertive new European rules on carbon emission controls, Germany is moving ahead with new lines of hydrogen fuel cell trains – an innovation that may make transportation greener in the EU’s economic hub, but comes with its own controversy in terms of power sourcing.
Reuters reports Siemens and Deutsche Bank are planning new hydrogen fuel cell powered train lines to replace diesel in a project slated for completion in 2024.
To date, analysts report, Germany has electrified 60% of its 33,000km total rail service and currently runs 1300 diesel trains.
In replacing the diesel trains with less impactful technologies, new hydrogen trains will have an electric range of 600 km and go up to 160 km/h.
The project will cost stakeholders between 5 million and 10 million Euros per train.
This isn’t Germany’s first foray into using hydrogen fuel cells for trains. An article archived by energy vendor Alstom chronicles the nation’s Coradia iLint project in 2016 in Berlin
“The launch of the CO2-emission-free regional train that represents a true alternative to diesel power positioned us as the first railway manufacturers in the world to develop a passenger train based on hydrogen technology,” Alstom spokespersons wrote. “The Coradia iLint is the world’s first passenger train powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, which produces electrical power for traction. This zero-emission train emits low levels of noise, with exhaust being only steam and condensed water. The iLint is special for its combination of different innovative elements: clean energy conversion, flexible energy storage in batteries, and smart management of traction power and available energy. Specifically designed for operation on non-electrified lines, it enables clean, sustainable train operation while ensuring high levels of performance.”
Diesel trains produce nitrogen dioxide, which has raised some health concerns with high dioxide levels measured in German towns and localities.
By contrast, the new trains will produce with something called nitrogen oxide. In general, nitrogen oxide has a lesser impact on human health then nitrogen dioxide, but it’s not without its health risks.
“We don’t use (nitrogen oxide) gas for anything directly; it simply visits and exits our lungs as inert filler,” writes Curt Stager in a 2011 broadside at Fast Company that goes over some of the concerns around the hydrogen fuel cell technology.
“But combine it with oxygen in the fiery cylinder of an internal combustion engine and you get ‘NOx’ compounds such as nitrate, which forms nitric acid in raindrops. Such nitrogen fixation happens naturally, whenever lightning sizzles a strip of air. But we’re doing it on a huge scale now, in vehicles whose spark-plug explosions amount to miniature lightning strikes.”
Stager asks the million-dollar question:
“I assume that hydrogen vehicles would be nowhere near as harmful as today’s gasoline-guzzlers when it comes to air pollution, if only because they don’t release CO2. But if we just re-tool our engines to accept hydrogen rather than fossil fuels, won’t we still be polluting the air, waters, and woods with nitrogen oxides?”
Scientists are still trying to isolate new ways to scrub NOx from the air. But if you are keyed into energy sector investments, knowing more about energy alternatives like this, for example, hydrogen power’s Achilles Heel, is a big way to improve your portfolio and stay agile in a dynamic market.
