Under the Hympulso project, the companies will develop a set of technologies that can be applied to the Talgo 250 “all-terrain” train, making it possible to electrify the rail network with energy generated entirely from renewable sources, even on lines without overhead power lines.
Led by Talgo, Hympulso also includes Golendus, Ingeteam, Optimus3D, Repsol and Sener as partners. Universidad Pontificia Comillas and Tecnalia are collaborators, while Adif is an observer.
The initiative has received a grant of €6.5m and is part of Spain’s Incentive Programme for the Innovative Value Chain and Knowledge of Renewable Hydrogen, as part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
Project scope
Hympulso will be comprehensive in nature, according to Talgo. It will, for example, activate the entire renewable hydrogen value chain in the railway system, from production to consumption. The project will also make it possible to analyze the impact of the future transition on the various railway infrastructure assets managed by Adif, such as maintenance facilities and the track.
Thus, the project will result in a joint output of hydrogen supply installations adapted to railways – both mobile and static – and a pioneering prototype of a hybrid bimodal train for passengers with automatic track-gauge change, which will be able to run both on conventional and high-speed networks, using catenary supply when available, or hydrogen and batteries in those corridors that are not electrified.
This holistic perspective is key because tackling the many major technological challenges posed by the adoption of renewable hydrogen in rail transport will require the involvement of multiple stakeholders at all levels, and from both the public and private sectors, Talgo noted.
The all-terrain train
All project partners seek to evolve their enabling technologies and expertise in the field of renewable hydrogen with Hympulso. Talgo's objective will thus be to develop, manufacture and test dual-hybrid hydrogen battery traction on a Talgo 250 train, intended for long-distance operations on mixed sections: partially electrified and partially non-electrified.
Called Talgo 250, these trains have two technical end cars each (CET), which are currently used to generate electricity from diesel to power the traction units on sections without catenary. Under the Hympulso project, one of these diesel CETs will be replaced in a Talgo 250 unit by one equipped with fuel cells and batteries to supply electricity to the locomotives using 100% green, renewable hydrogen.
Partner involvement
Ingeteam will design, manufacture and test reversible high-power converters, capable of charging the batteries from the catenary. Repsol and Golendus will be responsible for developing two hydrogen refueling facilities. Repsol will deploy a mobile facility, while Golendus’ hydrogen plant will be a static production and supply facility.
For the hydrogen supply facilities and the railway infrastructure, Sener will carry out an overall risk analysis and a simulation of the operation of the services. In both cases, a logistics control platform will be developed to monitor the use of hydrogen in the network.
Finally, an SME, the Alava-based Optimus3D will work on more efficient and durable new materials, based on additive manufacturing, and new processes to be used in hydrogen applications.
As for the observer companies, Adif wants to develop its knowledge in the definition of requirements and use cases in the access to the railway infrastructure of hydrogen technology. It will develop the safety requirements associated with the infrastructure and the interfaces with vehicle and refueling facility, as well as the design of standardized refueling facilities and collaborate with the use cases on the hydrogen fueling platform.
Adif will also include the comprehensive management of these new fuels within its wider hydrogen strategy. Furthermore, it will contribute during track testing by easing the access to the rail infrastructure.