Hydrogen powered trains will soon travel in Europe thanks to the cooperation of PESA and PKN Orlen. These two companies owned by Polish state have started cooperation, where PESA will supply hydrogen-powered locomotives, and the hydrogen supplies will be secured by Orlen. The dedicate MOU was signed during the European premiere of the hydrogen locomotive PESA SM42 H2Loco at the Innotrans Expo in Berlin. Hydrogen supplies will be carried out together with hydrogen stations.
Hydrogen fuel consumption in the train is 170 kg for a shunting locomotive and 260 kg for the daily operation of the passaneger train. According to PKN Orlen calculations that is 10 times more than for a city bus, which consumes about 25 kg of hydrogen per day. Orlen has the ambition to supply renewable, green hydrogen with refueling installations. The first hydrogen station for trains in Poland will soon be launched for the PESA locomotive, which will be included in the Koltrans fleet. Presently PESA SM42 H2 Loco locomotive runs on battery power, but soon it will generate electricity in a fuel cell.
Orlen would like to supply hydrogen for the trains with PESA in the long term. The companies have the ambition to offer their product to passenger and cargo carriers as well intermodal companies. Orlen will organize the production of green hydrogen, hydrogen distribution from production hubs and refueling for trains. Thanks to this, rail operators will be able to focus on what they do best – the operation of modern and green rolling stock powered by fuelcells. At the start, the offer will include PESA SM42 H2Loco hydrogen cell locomotives. The locomotive has 2 Ballard hydrogen cells with a total power of 170 kW and 4 asynchronous electric motors with a power of 720 kW (4 x 180 kW). The system is supported by an LTO battery with a capacity of 167.7 kWh, from which the current will flow through ABB traction inverters with a 3 x 400 V auxiliary converter.
Source: PESA
