China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), the country’s largest railway vehicle and equipment manufacturer, said the new converted train — Ningdong — is the world’s most powerful hydrogen-powered locomotive by far.
1. Hydrogen-powered
China’s first hydrogen-powered train was converted from an internal combustion engine in Datong City, Shanxi Province, and it started operations on 18 June. China’s railway said the retrofitted train contains the largest fuel cell of any train around the world, with a capacity of 800kW — and the power can expand to 2,000kW for different needs with various fuel cell types.
The locomotive is equipped with a maximum of 270 kilograms of hydrogen supply and it can run continuously for 190 hours after completing a refuel for only two hours, said Huang Qichao, chairman of the Datong subsidiary of CRRC.
Hydrogen is a clean, renewable energy. The operating costs of hydrogen-powered locomotives are about half those of internal combustion ones.
Liang Zhenzhong, deputy general manager and chief engineer of CRRC Datong
Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, producing water vapor as the only emission. This makes hydrogen a clean energy source with the potential to replace traditional fossil fuels.
2. Security features
The new train features multiple security protections to keep it safe, such as intelligent monitoring and a mechanical interlock on the hydrogen fuel cell system, as well as fireproof and heat insulation and explosion-proof design for the fuel cells.
The train also has a fireproof wall to isolate the hydrogen storage from the fuel cells, and an independent ventilation system is installed for the hydrogen storage room to replace all the air within five minutes. It also carries a battery to absorb energy from the braking system.
“Compared to the traditional locomotive with an internal combustion engine, the hydrogen-powered locomotive is more efficient in energy conversion,” said Fu Yongun, the General Manager of the CRRC Datong subsidiary, noting that the locomotive emits no carbon dioxide or other pollutants since the only discharge is water.
3. Retrofitting
Converting diesel trains to hydrogen-powered ones is believed to be a cheaper choice than directly purchasing hydrogen trains. China is testing the retrofitting option since the country has over 7,800 diesel locomotives, 90% of which can be converted to hydrogen-powered locomotives, according to CRRC.
In December 2022, CRRC unveiled a hydrogen-powered train in Chengdu, the capital city of southwest China’s Sichuan province. The train was the fastest of its kind in the world, with a speed of 160km/h, according to local newspaper Chengdu Daily. The fuel cells powering the locomotive could run for 600km – enough to last for a day without the need for refuelling.
