Canadian Pacific (CP) has secured a $15m grant from Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), which will help expand its Hydrogen Locomotive Programme with more locomotives.

With this funding, the railway intends to increase the number of hydrogen locomotive conversions from one to three.

Plans are also on to boost hydrogen production, as well as increase fuelling facilities.

The company is currently obtaining the 50/50 matching grant from ERA’s Shovel Ready Challenge programme.

It adds to the $15m that CP already allocated for the project during this year.

Last year in December, CP announced plans to develop North America’s first line-haul hydrogen-driven locomotive by utilising fuel cells and batteries to run the locomotive’s electric traction motors.

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CP will now use the fund to advance its early programme research for the transformation of an additional line-haul locomotive, as well as a yard switcher locomotive.

This research is expected to streamline the conversion procedure of diesel-electric powertrains to hydrogen-electric powertrains over a series of three kinds of locomotive.

The project will also encompass the establishment of hydrogen production and fuelling centres at CP railyards in Calgary and Edmonton.

The fuelling facility at Calgary will have an electrolysis plant for the generation of hydrogen from water.

This infrastructure will use renewable power from solar panels and generate zero greenhouse gas emissions.

While the Edmonton facility will feature a small-scale steam methane reformation system for producing hydrogen from Alberta’s natural gas resources.

In addition, this system will be built for the inclusion of possible upcoming greenhouse gas capture equipment.

In a statement, CP said: “CP’s Hydrogen Locomotive Programme will demonstrate and evaluate the technical performance of hydrogen-powered locomotives and supporting fuelling infrastructure in real-world operations. The programme will generate critical industry knowledge and experience that will inform commercialisation and future development.”

In September, CP signed a $27.2bn cash-stock deal to take over Kansas City Southern.