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Germany has conducted a trial run on the world’s first hydrogen-powered train.
Railway service provider Alstom has developed the Coradia iLint – the first passenger train that is free from emissions. The train, which runs on a hydrogen-powered cell, is noiseless and releases steam and condensed water. Although the hydrogen used for the trial was obtained through a mechanical process, it will be sourced from the wind in the future. The train can accommodate around 300 passengers and move as far as 500 miles on one tank of hydrogen. Therefore, it is a viable alternative to the 4,000 trains already in operation in Germany.
Germany’s plan to replace its diesel trains with hydrogen-powered trains is part of its advocacy to control its greenhouse gas emissions. According to a recent German Environment Agency report, the country releases around 906 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year, a figure that contradicts Germany’s supposed dedication to green energy. Kristina Jurich, a representative of the agency, said that the emission levels from the previous year will impede the country’s efforts to achieve a 40% reduction rate in emissions by 2020. Alstom is hopeful that the innovation will take over all of Germany’s diesel-fueled trains in five to twenty years.
Other countries that intend to invest in hydrogen-powered trains are the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. The UK, which aims to make all vehicles in the country emission-free by 2050, plans to introduce hydrogen stations nationwide.
Hydrogen-powered trains have been in the works for around 15 years. In 2015, the South China Rail Corporation introduced the first trams operating on hydrogen power.