Indian Railways to run Hydrogen Fuel powered trains first time in India

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Train | Image: Alstom

New Delhi, India (Urban Transport News): The national transporter of India is working on “Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Batteries” and “National Hydrogen Mission” to meet out the targets of reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emission under Paris Climate Agreement 2015 and “Mission Net Zero Carbon Emission Railway” by 2030. .

Accordingly, there has been recent budgetary pronouncement to kick off the concept of Hydrogen Mobility in the Country. Accepting it as a challenge, Indian Railways Organization of Alternate Fuel (IROAF), Green Fuel vertical of Indian Railways, has invited the bids for Hydrogen Fuel Cell based Train on Railways Network. The project shall commence in 89 km Sonipat-Jind section of Northern Railway.

According to plan, initially, two DEMU rakes will be converted and later, two Hybrid locos will be converted based on Hydrogen Fuel cell power movement. There will be no change in the driving console. Also, the project will lead to saving of Rs 2.3 crores annually.

Details of the Project

Sanctioned Work

• Provision of Fuel Cell powered Hybrid Traction System for train application on 2 DEMU rakes
• Current Pink Book item No. 723 of 2021-22
• Allocation during current year Rs 8 crore

Brief Scope of Work

• On-board equipment as per RDSO specification no. R2/347/Fuel Cell-1 of July 2021
• Stationary (on ground) hydrogen storage and filling station at site as per RDSO specification no. R2/347/Fuel Cell-1 of July 2021.

Tender processing

•  Two pre-bid conferences scheduled on 17 August 2021 and 9 September 2021.

•  Start of submission of offer: 21 Sepetmber, 2021.

•  Date of tender opening is 5 October 2021.

Using hydrogen will be a major step towards lowering pollution from trains as the gas is known to be the greenest transport fuel. Hydrogen can be generated easily by electrolysing the water from solar energy.

It is noted that french multinational firm Alstom Transport had started commercial services of Hydrogen Fuel Cell powered train named Coradia iLint first time in Geremany in 2018. This is the first time in the world that the commercial train powered by Hudrogen Fuel Cell technology have gone into use of transporting passengers.