Hydrogen-powered multiple unit tests in Germany
Alstom has confirmed that its Coradia iLint hydrogen-powered multiple unit could operate in the UK in 2021 at the earliest, following the first successful tests of the prototype in Germany.
The train was debuted at the Innotrans trade show in Germany last year ( RAIL 810), and will enter traffic on the BuxtehudeBremervorde-BremerhavenCuxhaven route in Germany next year.
However, Alstom admits that while it is possible for the unit to operate in the UK, there are currently no plans for it to do so. The manufacturer said its introduction would depend on successful operation in Germany and for the UK to plan a nationwide hydrogen supply and delivery pipeline.
During the tests on its own test track in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony (Germany), the iLint reached speeds of 50mph.
Extensive testing will be carried out in Germany and the Czech Republic (where it will run at speeds up to 87mph) before it enters traffic.
A mobile filling station has been built at Salzgitter to pump gaseous hydrogen into the pressure tank of the train. Hydrogen used for the tests is the by-product of the industrial process and is reused as a waste product, says Alstom. Long-term, the company aims to support hydrogen production using wind energy.
Alstom said this first test lasts four weeks, and is designed to confirm the stability of the energy supply system based on co-ordinated interaction between the drive, fuel cell and battery of the vehicle. Braking power is also being tested.
The train is the world’s first lowfloor passenger train powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. It produces no emissions, is silent, and only emits steam and condensed water. It stores energy in its batteries and has a smart management of traction power. The manufacturer believes the trains is “particularly suited for operation on non- electrified networks”.
Didier Pfleger, vice-president of Alstom Germany and Austria, said: “This test run is a significant milestone in environmental protection and technical innovation. With the Coradia iLint and its fuel cell technology, Alstom is the first railway manufacturer to offer a zero-emission alternative for mass transit trains. Today our new traction system, so far successfully proved on the test ring, is used on a train for the first time - a major step towards cleaner mobility in Europe.”
Static commissioning has already been completed, while all electrical and pneumatic functions have been tested and verified. The battery, pressure tank system and fuel cell have all been certified for the testing.
A letter of intent has been signed for 60 trains with the German states of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, BadenWürttemberg and the Hessian transport association ‘Rhein-MainVerkehrsverbund’.