Siemens Mobility has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the recently spun-off entity Siemens Energy to jointly develop hydrogen systems for railway operations.
The two companies will focus on developing a standardised hydrogen infrastructure solution to power Siemens Mobility’s hydrogen trains.
Subsequently, the technology will be used in pilot projects and specific customer projects.
The solution is expected to support the decarbonisation of the railway sector and will help in replacing diesel trains on non-electrified lines with a sustainable alternative.
Siemens Mobility will focus on the development of rail transport solutions, as well as train maintenance and depot equipment. On the other hand, Siemens Energy will be responsible for marketing the technology required for the generation and provision of green hydrogen.
Siemens Mobility Rolling Stock CEO Albrecht Neumann said: “Our cooperation with Siemens Energy paves the way for sustainable and climate-friendly mobility.
“This way, we can support our customers in replacing their diesel-powered trains operating on non-electrified rail lines with emission-free hydrogen-powered trains over the longer term.
“Together with Siemens Energy, we can even offer hydrogen as a ‘hydrogen as a service’ model for a train’s service life.”
Siemens Energy New Energy Business EVP Armin Schnettler said: “Working together with Siemens Mobility, we want to drive sector coupling by developing, among other things, an electrolysis and fuelling solution for the fast fuelling of hydrogen-powered trains.”
This comes when thousands of diesel-electric multiple-unit trains are set to be replaced with environmentally friendly alternatives in Europe over the next twenty years.
Recently, the UK started mainline testing of the country’s first hydrogen-powered train called HydroFLEX.