The two British Columbia-based companies will use locally developed technology, including Loop Energy’s 50kw eFlow fuel cell system and a low-pressure solid-state hydrogen storage tank developed by H2M. The project signifies the first instance of Loop supplying its products for use in a rail transport application.
“This is an exciting phase for the hydrogen fuel cell industry as this proves that it is technically and economically feasible to convert diesel-powered switcher locomotives to hydrogen fuel cell-based power systems,” said Grace Quan, CEO of Hydrogen-in-Motion.
In conjunction with Loop Energy, H2M will be working with the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan School of Engineering (UBCO) and Southern Railway of BC (SRY). As part of this collaboration, UBCO’s research component will conduct computational modeling of H2M low pressure tanks, comparing the hydrogen electric powertrain performance characteristics and operational functionality with those of the previous diesel electric locomotive.
With the successful demonstration of this retrofit, SRY will be able to onboard the rest of its fleet as well as transfer this technology to other rail carriers such as Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian National Railway for nationwide impact.
“As a Vancouver-based company, we’re passionate about joining forces with like-minded organizations on practical, sustainable mobility solutions in support of a clean energy future for the Canadian economy,” said George Rubin, chief commercial officer of Loop Energy. “This is a monumental step in making zero-emissions rail transport a reality, through a safe and compact onboard hydrogen storage solution. Combined with Loop Energy’s fuel efficient and power dense 50 kw fuel cell module, we’re delivering a stronger, more efficient locomotive model by harnessing the power of hydrogen and battery electric.”
In addition of equipment and manpower provided by consortium members, SRY, H2M, UBCO, and Loop Energy, partial funding has been provided by the Government of British Columbia through the BC Advanced Research and Commercialization program as well as the Government of Canada through the MITACS and the Industrial Research Assistance Program at the National Research Council.