Hydrogen. Several developments are already in progress across Europe with Alstom being the disruptor. Siemens confirms again that the German railway vehicle manufacturer is also working on implementing this technology in its passenger trains, a plan made public a year ago.
2018: Siemens’ hydrogen journey begins
Let’s start with an announcement from last year. In February 2018, Siemens received funding approval for the development of a fuel cell drive for trains. The technology was to be developed jointly, between Siemens and Ballard, a Canadian manufacturer of fuel cells.
The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Transportation and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI). Around EUR 12 million will be spent, money that comes from the Ministry’s “National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Innovation Program”. The Siemens’ Mireo platform was selected to become the reference product. The goal of the project: Zero-emission operation without overhead lines, of course.
Working together, the two companies announced their intentions to develop a new generation of fuel cells, with a long lifecycle and high power density as well as improved efficiency. RWTH Aachen University was chosen as a partner for the new research project. The National Organization for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH) is coordinating the project.
Statements from Siemens and Ballard’s CEOs reveal further details about the project context:
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