Deutsche Bahn: Hydrogen-Powered Trains Arriving by 2050

After Deutsche Bahn announced they will have hydrogen-powered trains replace its fleet of 1,300 diesel locomotives as soon as 2050, Hydrogen Industry Leaders gives an insight into how this will be implemented. 

A pledge was announced in 2020 through the H2goesRail project. Looking to be the pioneers behind the transition to clean transportation – in partnership with Siemens Mobility – they are pushing the decarbonisation of the transport sector.

Hydrogen becoming a big hitter in the race to reduce emissions in transport

They aim to replace diesel multiple units in regional service and thus further reduce carbon emissions in rail transport. To achieve this, with H2goesRail they are developing an innovative mobile refuelling station whose smart control unit will allow fast refuelling of hydrogen trains.

In a recent update to this project, Green Hydrogen Systems committed to supplying electrolysis equipment. The electrolyser has a capacity of 0.5MW and will provide the hydrogen to fuel the Siemens train. 

Capacity is the biggest problem to overcome

The electrolyser site will provide a total capacity of 71,000kg of hydrogen production annually and will be built by the end of 2024. 

In a recent interview, Søren Rudbrik, Chief Operating Officer at Green Hydrogen Systems, said, “As a country with a highly advanced hydrogen research landscape, Germany has the potential to become a global leader in the associated green hydrogen technologies.”

There will be huge interest from other nations across Europe to see how this project turns out. Not just in passenger rail but also the role hydrogen can play in freight delivery where electrification is not possible.