A mannequin of Siemens Mobility’s Mireo Plus photographed in 2019.
Nicolas Armer | Image Alliance | Getty Pictures
Plans to deploy a hydrogen-powered prepare within the southern German state of Bavaria took a step ahead this week after Siemens Mobility and rail operator Bayerische Regiobahn put pen to paper on a leasing contract.
The signing of the contract, which happened on Tuesday, builds upon a letter of intent from final summer season.
In a press release Wednesday, Siemens stated testing of the prototype prepare would begin in mid-2023 on routes together with one between Augsburg and Füsse, with the prepare slated to formally start a passenger service in Jan. 2024.
The 2-car prepare relies round Siemens Mobility’s Mireo Plus platform. It is going to use gas cells which are roof-mounted and incorporate underfloor batteries.
Albrecht Neumann, rolling inventory CEO at Siemens Mobility — a individually managed enterprise of Siemens — described the Mireo Plus H as that includes “excessive driving energy, wonderful acceleration functionality and a big working vary.”
“The hydrogen-powered drive is an emission-free, superior type of propulsion for trains that decarbonizes rail transport and makes a considerable contribution towards reaching our local weather objectives,” Neumann stated.
Described by the Worldwide Vitality Company as a “versatile vitality provider,” hydrogen has a various vary of purposes and can be utilized in a variety of industries, together with transportation.
In rail, Siemens Mobility is considered one of a number of corporations which were engaged on trains that use hydrogen. Others embody East Japan Railway and European railway producer Alstom. Hydrogen trains from Alstom have already carried passengers in Germany and Austria.
On the street, automotive companies like Toyota have dipped into the hydrogen gas cell market whereas smaller corporations reminiscent of Riversimple are also developing hydrogen-powered cars.
In aviation, Airbus launched particulars in Sept. 2020 of three “hybrid-hydrogen” idea planes, saying they may enter service by the yr 2035. The identical month noticed a hydrogen fuel-cell aircraft able to carrying passengers complete its maiden flight.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury lately informed CNBC that hydrogen planes represented the “ultimate solution” for the mid and long term.
