In Vladivostok, during the Eastern Economic Forum, an agreement was signed on cooperation and interaction on the project of organizing railway transport using trains using hydrogen fuel cells.
The agreement was signed by Oleg Belozerov, General Director and Chairman of the Board of Russian Railways, Valery Limarenko, Acting Governor of the Sakhalin Region, Alexei Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation, Kirill Lipa, General Director of Transmashholding JSC.
Transmashholding JSC plans to organize the production of trains using hydrogen fuel cells. Rosatom State Corporation in the project assigned the role of a potential hydrogen supplier, due to competencies in the field of hydrogen production using the capacities of Russian nuclear power plants.
In addition, the existing technological reserve of the scientific and production organizations of the nuclear industry allows us to consider Rosatom State Corporation as a possible supplier of fuel cells and other key equipment for the project. Russian Railways considers this project as an important promising area for improving environmental safety and railway efficiency. Sakhalin Oblast will become a pilot training ground for organizing passenger traffic using trains using hydrogen fuel cells.
The transition to the use of hydrogen fuel cell trains on railways involves the creation of systems for ensuring their operation, including the production of hydrogen and fuel cells, transportation, storage and refueling with hydrogen.
The project is planned to be implemented in stages, starting with a feasibility study of decisions within the entire life cycle of the project, conducting comprehensive tests, and confirming compliance with safety requirements. The project provides for the creation of a competence center with the aim of developing and subsequently extending organizational and technological solutions worked out in the Sakhalin Region to other non-electrified railways, primarily in the Far East.
Hydrogen-fueled trains have minimal environmental impact. The development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is a global trend.
