The final tests of the Spanish hydrogen train, which was the envy of all of Europe, have been completed
He FCH2Rail projectthe central axis of which was The first hydrogen train to be tested on the railway network in Spain and Portugal.completed successfully. He himself had budget 14 million euros (approximately 70% funding from European funds) and was developed by a consortium consisting of CAF, DLR, Toyota, Renfe, Adif, CNH2, IP and Stemmann-Technik.
As explained in a CAF statement for Rail Live 2024 (which took place in Zaragoza) the final event took place the above project. Over the past four years, it has developed dual-mode hydrogen fuel cell demonstration train which, as already mentioned, has been tested on the railway networks of Spain and Portugal.
Regarding the operation of this hydrogen train, CAF explained that “the so-called Hybrid fuel cell power supply It was designed and manufactured for an existing commuter train provided by Renfe. This innovative The zero-emission power generation system uses electricity from hydrogen fuel cells and LTO batteries.the concept of a vehicle that can travel both in electric mode in electrified infrastructure and in hybrid mode in sections of the network without overhead contact lines.
“One of the most important milestones of the project received permission for distribution during tests on the Spanish national network and departure of the vehicle for its first test run on the Zaragoza-Canfranc linein the Aragonese Pyrenees. The arrival of the train at Canfranc station demonstrated the reliability of the technology used as The road from Zaragoza to Canfranc is particularly challenging due to steep and elevated ramps.which has become a serious challenge for new on-board power generation systems,” the statement emphasizes.
The Spanish company also clarified that “in order to test the new technology in a wide range of power and energy demand conditions, the train has left subsequently for several months along different routes, mainly in Aragon, Madrid and Galicia.in scenarios involving operation in various climatic and operating conditions. Total “The prototype has driven over 10,000 km in hydrogen mode.”
“This is during the train stop in Galicia, when another one of the main milestones of the projectWith traveling by train to Portugal. This allowed more complete description of the new technologyto further evaluate the competitiveness of the new two-mode hybrid power plant with hydrogen cells as a sustainable alternative to diesel traction, which is currently used on many lines,” CAF emphasized.