Siemens Group and German railway company Deutsche Bahn carried out the first trial run of their Mireo Plus H hydrogen train and tested their mobile refueling system. The train traveled on the tracks of the Siemens Test and Validation Center in Wegberg-Wildenrath, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Siemens announced on Tuesday (13) that “the complete hydrogen system will be used in regular passenger service from 2024 and will replace the diesel-powered train”. The test was attended by the CEOs of Siemens, Roland Busch, and of Deutsche Bahn, Richard Lutz, as well as the Secretary of State of the German Ministry of Transport, Hartmut Höpper.
The hydrogen-powered trains use a significantly eco-friendly propulsion technology, as they emit only water vapour. Refueling is done via a mobile hydrogen storage station. The technology promises to make a significant contribution to the elimination of diesel fuel, with the expectation that this form of propulsion will replace all diesel-powered trains in regional transport in the near future.
Siemens Mobility, Siemens Mobility, and Deutsche Bahn publicly presented the H2goesRail project in November 2020. “The new Mireo Plus H train emits nothing but water. It has a range of around 800 kilometers, it can travel up to 160 kilometers per hour and be refueled quickly,” said Busch.
Saving thousands of tons of CO2
Over its 30-year lifespan, each train will save up to 45,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions compared to car travel, according to the Siemens boss. The project is being funded with €13.74 million from the Ministry of Transport as part of the National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology.
According to Deutsche Bahn, a key factor in enabling hydrogen traction is the refueling speed, which is almost as high as in diesel vehicles. The hydrogen to power the trains will be produced in Tübingen by the DB Energy branch using electrolysis, using green electricity taken directly from the railway’s electrical wiring.
The Mireo Plus H will enter service in 2024 on the route between the cities of Tübingen and Pforzheim, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. On this route alone, switching from diesel to hydrogen will save around 330 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
Deutsche Bahn still operates around 3,000 diesel-powered rail vehicles. The company’s objective is to convert them to biofuels. For new vehicles, Deutsche Bahn wants to use new forms of propulsion, such as hydrogen or battery technology.
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