BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.6. Hydrogen has potential to replace diesel on non-electrified rail, Trend reports with reference to DNV GL.
“Though single projects are frequently announced, such as the world’s largest fleet of hydrogen trains to be operated close to Frankfurt, Germany, with a total volume of 27 hydrogen trains, no large-scale use of gaseous energy carriers (e.g. hydrogen) in rail transport is foreseen. This is due to barriers such as limits in pulling power for rail freight transport, a need for governmental support, and the lack of installation of a hydrogen fuelling infrastructure along main rail tracks,” reads the latest report published by DNV.
The report reveals that for passenger transport, especially in urban areas, the space efficiency of rail transport is superior to other options.
“The ease of electrification also makes it a favorable option for transport decarbonization. Growth can also be explained by the increasing speed and competitiveness of high-speed trains compared with aviation, again with decarbonization as a main driver. The greatest passenger growth will happen in the Indian Subcontinent and Greater China, driven by a significant rise in standards of living, and a strong public policy push for rail transport development.
Almost all passenger rail growth will be in these two regions, with Indian Subcontinent having a 57 percent share in global rail passenger transport in 2050, and Greater China 27 percent. In all regions apart from Europe, where rail freight has traditionally been strong, GDP growth and transport sector decarbonization strategies are drivers of increased rail freight volumes. Europe has seen the greatest increase in road-freight demand, but the region’s potential for further growth in rail freight is constrained by already-crowded tracks, improved roads, and prioritization of passenger rail transport,” DNV experts note.
The company notes that energy-efficiency improvements will be strong and relate mainly to electrification, though diesel-powered units will also experience significant efficiency gains.
“We predict that current growth trends in electrification will be sustained to meet demand for rail transport, with the fuel mix in 2050 becoming 54 percent electricity (41 percent today), 41 percent diesel, and 5 percent biofuel.”
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