Hydrogen-powered trains to be utilized in the capital region of Germany

June 29, 2022: -Siemens Mobility is also a few hydrogen-powered trains for a network in the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region of Germany, in the recent example of how hydrogen-based technology is being used in rail transport.

On Monday, Siemens Mobility said it had been commissioned by rail operator Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn to provide seven of its Mireo Plus H trains. The two-carriage vehicles will be using fuel cells and lithium-ion batteries and are slated to be delivered in the fall of2024.

Operations on the Heidekrautbahn network are wanted to start in Dec. 2024. Moreover, the order includes a 10-year service and extra parts contract until 2034.

Siemens Mobility, a separately managed company of industrial giant Siemens, said the trains would give “completely CO2 emission-free mobility” and have a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour.

The firm previously said the Mireo Plus H’s range comes between 600 and 1,000 kilometers.

“By switching the diesel to hydrogen, Heidekrautbahn will decrease its annual CO2 emissions by nearly three million kilos and save 1.1 million liters of diesel,” the company added.

The deployment of hydrogen-powered marches on the network is part of a joint pilot project funded by the states of Berlin, Brandenburg, and the federal government.

Defined by the International Energy Agency as a “versatile energy carrier,” hydrogen has diverse applications and can be used in various industries, including transportation.

According to the IEA, rail is “one of the most energy-efficient transport modes.” It is responsible for 9% of worldwide motorized passenger movement and 7% of freight, the IEA says, but accounts for 3% of transport energy use. 

However, it relies heavily on oil, representing 55% of the sector’s total energy consumption in 2020. Under the IEA’s scenario for a net-zero energy system by 2050, oil use in rail would have to drop to “almost zero” by this century.

Siemens Mobility is one of few companies that have been working on trains that use hydrogen. They also include East Japan Railway and European railway manufacturer Alstom. The latter has carried passengers in Germany and Austria on hydrogen trains.