Alstom has conducted the first run of a shunting locomotive, converted from diesel to hydrogen propulsion, in Salzgitter, Germany.
This development is part of a collaboration with VPS Verkehrsbetriebe Peine-Salzgitter, WTZ Roßlau, TU Braunschweig, and Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films.
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The city of Salzgitter is contributing €1.5m ($1.7m) from a €50m structural aid package provided by the state of Lower Saxony to support the project.
The initiative aims to decarbonise shunting operations by using hydrogen for direct, CO2-free combustion in locomotive engines.
Industrial testing has begun at Salzgitter Group’s steel production facilities and will continue until October this year.
The project will conclude in autumn this year, after which the locomotive will be restored to its original condition.
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By GlobalDataThe partners expect this practical application to provide insights into the technology’s viability for regular use.
Alstom Central and Northern Europe Services vice president François Muller said: “With this research project, we are once again pioneering the use of hydrogen in rail transport.
“We are expanding the spectrum of vehicle modernisation with a doubly sustainable approach – thanks to this solution, our customers can switch to emission-free operation without having to replace their existing fleet.”
VPS operates 42 locomotives for transporting materials such as ore and coal within its production network.
In Germany, about 1,000 diesel shunting locomotives are in use, with around 4,000 across Europe.
These locomotives typically have a service life of 50 to 70 years, emitting approximately 150 tonnes of CO2 annually.
A hydrogen-powered locomotive could save up to 3,000t of CO2 over a 15 to 20-year lifespan, equivalent to the emissions of 650 cars or the carbon sequestration of 200,000 trees.
VPS managing director Dr Johannes Dreier said: “This test deployment of a locomotive with an engine converted to direct hydrogen combustion fits perfectly into the ongoing transformation within the Salzgitter Group.
“With the SALCOS – Salzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking programme, the Salzgitter Group will gradually switch pig iron production from the blast furnace route to direct reduction, initially predominantly natural gas-based and later increasingly hydrogen-based, over the coming years.”
Recently, Alstom released a report detailing five measures to enhance Sweden’s railway network, emphasising punctuality, capacity, infrastructure, skills, and innovation.
