With hydrogen powered prepare set to debut on Indian Railways community quickly, knowledgeable say it’s financially unviable and technically difficult to run hydrogen gasoline cell trains.
As a pilot, the hydrogen prepare is ready to debut on the Jind-Sonipat part by retrofitting Hydrogen Gas cells on the present Diesel Electrical A number of Unit (DEMU). The price of the prepare together with floor infrastructure is Rs 111 crore and is slated for launch by Might this 12 months. The price is just like that of a 16-coach Vande Bharat prepare. Â Â
The event of 35 hydrogen gasoline cell-based trains for varied heritage/hill routes was included in Finances 2023-24 at a value of Rs 2800 crore. Â Additional, establishing of Hydrogen Infrastructure for heritage routes has additionally been included at a value of Rs 600 crore.Â
Consultants marvel the excessive value related to the whole hydrogen prepare mission and that railways have achieved 100% electrification of all 70,000 route kms of broad-gauge community apart from mountain trains that are retained for tourism/heritage functions.
Based on Indian Railways estimates, the preliminary working value of a Hydrogen gasoline prepare set will probably be greater which is able to subsequently cut back with a rise within the variety of trains.
“Inexperienced hydrogen is pricey and decreasing prices is important to make it aggressive with diesel or electrification. Notably within the case of IR the place one can feed renewable-based electrical energy on to overhead electrical tools through grid on the level of technology, there is no such thing as a level in producing hydrogen and distributing it throughout,” says Lalit Chandra Trivedi, former Indian Railways Basic Supervisor.
Railways intention to have hydrogen trains is a part of its bigger imaginative and prescient to chop down on carbon emissions and transition to scrub sources of vitality.
Trivedi says that working a prepare system requires carrying some gasoline on board a locomotive and additional refuelling is finished at a number of factors situated judiciously alongside the size and breadth of the community.
“So, we have to carry liquid inexperienced hydrogen on board a locomotive and organize to move and distribute at a number of level storage factors throughout the rail community. A minimal of fifty such hydrogen refueling factors will probably be wanted to serve each km of the community. The requirement for high-pressure tanks or cryogenic storage will increase complexity and weight on trains, probably lowering cargo or passenger capability,” he provides.
Whereas inexperienced hydrogen is seen as a futuristic supply of vitality in energy-intensive sectors, the price of manufacturing and availability of water for electrolysis are seen as key challenges.
