Alstom Tests World’s First Zero-Emission Train Running on Hydrogen in Germany and Czech
French multinational transport company Alstom has successfully tested its first hydrogen-powered train in Germany and Czech. The CO2-emission-free train, Coradia iLint, will be operating on Hydrogen fuel cells, instead of diesel, and it will emit steam and condensed water, instead of CO2. The train was designed by Alstom’s team in Germany. It was tested at the Salzgitter site in Germany at a speed of 80 km/h, and at Velim in Czech a speed of 140 km/h, which is the train’s maximum speed. The company ran the trains, for the test, on reused Hydrogen, which was the waste product of an industrial process. They, also, plan to operate the hydrogen production plants by means of wind energy.
Courtesy of Alstom – Image via designboom.com
“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“, said Didier Pfleger, Vice President of Alstom Germany and Austria.
Alstom’s Coradia line of regional trains has been in services for more than 16 years, with more than 2,400 trains sold.