As part of a nine-month project, Clean Air Power demonstrated a Freightliner Class 66 locomotive running on hydrogen to reduce its carbon emission output. Clean Air Power achieved this by fitting the Class 66 with its precision injection technology, allowing the locomotive to run on a combination of diesel, biogas, and hydrogen.
The project marks the first time this technology, which has been successfully demonstrated on road, was applied to the rail freight sector. The project paves the way for the decarbonization of other Class 66 locomotives, which carry over 80% of the freight on the UK rail network.
Clean Air Power was able to fund the initiative after being chosen as one of the winners of the 2021 First of a Kind (FOAK) competition, which is backed by the Department for Transport in partnership with Innovate UK. FOAK is aimed at making railways cleaner, greener and more passenger friendly. 30 projects were awarded a share of £9 million, with Clean Air Power securing almost £400,000.
Clean Air Power’s main project partner was rail freight operator, Freightliner. The company was also supported by RSSB, Carrickarory, the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education at the University of Birmingham, Network Rail and Tarmac.
Dan Skelton, managing director of Clean Air Power, said, “Our team and project partners have worked brilliantly alongside one another to deliver a low-carbon, low-emission, hydrogen-friendly Class 66 locomotive.
“Despite the complexities and challenges involved, we have clearly demonstrated we can successfully offer a route to viable, long-term decarbonization freight rail and its associated cost benefits. We’re very proud to have transferred our know-how and expertise to this new and exciting market and are looking forward to taking on similar projects in the future.”
Rail minister, Wendy Morton, added, “Clean Air Power’s modified Class 66 is a brilliant example of how the First of a Kind competition is striving toward a more modern and greener railway network for the future. As we continue transforming rail travel, our work investing into pioneering projects and cutting-edge technology is vital for ensuring the UK’s railways remain some of the best in the world.”
“Freightliner is delighted to have worked with industry partners on this important project, demonstrating the important role that hydrogen could play in supporting the transition to net zero greenhouse gas emission,” Blake Jones, Freightliner’s managing director of rail services, continued. “While rail freight remains the most environmentally friendly mode of transporting freight around the UK, the FOAK competition helps drive even greater innovation and industry collaboration, to deliver further sustainability improvements. The electrification of the network is expected to be the principle means for rail freight to decarbonize; however, alternative technologies and fuels, such as hydrogen, will be necessary for parts of the rail network that remain non-electrified.”
Network Rail’s head of strategic planning, Richard Moody, concluded, “This is a crucial step in demonstrating that alternative technologies could help to reduce carbon emissions from rail freight which will support the transition to net-zero emissions by 2050.”