https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/imeche-recommends-electrification-instead-of-hydrogen-trains.html
[Hybrid battery-electrified rail and hybrid biofuel-electrified rail are
other options to consider for lightly used rail lines where full
electrification appears economically unattractive. Biodiesel could be a
drop-in replacement for diesel-electric trains already in service.
Where the line can be electrified, the diesel-electric locomotive can be
modified to take power from rails or overhead wires rather than running
the diesel generators.]
IMechE recommends electrification instead of hydrogen trains
07 Feb 2019
HYDROGEN: Although investment in hydrogen-fuelled trains is a ‘vital’
part of the process to improve air quality, it must not be seen as an
easy replacement for electrification, according to The Future for
Hydrogen Trains in the UK published by the Institution of Mechanical
Engineers on February 7.
The report considers both ‘brown’ hydrogen made by steam reforming of
non-renewable fossil fuels and the currently more expensive ‘green’
hydrogen produced by electrolysis using renewable electricity.
It says ‘the overall efficiency of a hydrogen train is about a third
that of an electric train’, calculating that hydrogen traction requires
3 kW of electricity to deliver 1 kW of power to the wheel while an
electric train needs 1·2 kW. This ‘undermines the green credentials of
hydrogen trains’ if non-renewable sources are used; efficiency becomes
less important if renewable energy is used.
The report concludes that hydrogen should only be used in places where
long-term technical environmental and economic factors make
electrification a poor option, for example on remote rural routes. It
confirms that hydrogen is not suitable for high speed and freight
trains, because the fuel requires a large amount of storage space.
The report makes three recommendations:
the UK government should rethink its plans to scale back
electrification, and instead launch ‘a more innovative and long-term’
rolling programme of electrification’ covering ‘most lines’;
The rail industry should encourage the development and deployment
of hydrogen trains and associated servicing facilities, helping to
de-risk the technologies involved;
the use of hydrogen should be developed in locations where
production already occurs and there are opportunities to support
integrated rail, bus and power systems.
The institution’s Head of Engineering Dr Jenifer Baxter said the
creation of ‘clusters’ of hydrogen-related businesses where the gas is
produced could help local train and bus operators to decarbonise by
reducing or sharing the distribution costs involved.
‘Storing hydrogen requires significantly more space than diesel fuel’,
added David Shirres, member of the Institution's Railway Division. ‘For
this reason, hydrogen is not suitable for high-powered rail traction and
so should not be considered as an alternative to electrification.’
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