A mannequin of Siemens Mobility’s Mireo Plus photographed in 2019.
Nicolas Armer | Image Alliance | Getty Photographs
Plans to deploy a hydrogen-powered practice 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 time.
In a press release Wednesday, Siemens stated testing of the prototype practice would begin in mid-2023 on routes together with one between Augsburg and Füsse, with the practice slated to formally start a passenger service in Jan. 2024.
The 2-car practice relies round Siemens Mobility’s Mireo Plus platform. It would use gas cells which might be 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, glorious 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 targets,” Neumann stated.
Described by the Worldwide Vitality Company as a “versatile vitality service,” hydrogen has a various vary of functions and can be utilized in a variety of industries, together with transportation.
In rail, Siemens Mobility is one in every of a number of firms 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 highway, automotive companies like Toyota have dipped into the hydrogen gas cell market whereas smaller firms similar to Riversimple are additionally growing hydrogen-powered vehicles.
In aviation, Airbus launched particulars in Sept. 2020 of three “hybrid-hydrogen” idea planes, saying they may enter service by the 12 months 2035. The identical month noticed a hydrogen fuel-cell aircraft able to carrying passengers full its maiden flight.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury not too long ago informed CNBC that hydrogen planes represented the “final resolution” for the mid and long run.
