Hydrogen for eco-friendly railfreight
Canadian Pacific Railways (CP) will employ Ballard fuel cell modules in CP's pioneering hydrogen locomotive programme. The modules will provide a total of 1.2 megawatts of electricity to power the locomotive.
With this initiative, CP will develop North America's first hydrogen-powered line-haul freight locomotive by retrofitting a formerly diesel-powered locomotive with Ballard hydrogen fuel cells, the railways said.
The fuel cells will work with battery technology to power the locomotive's electric traction motors. Once operational, CP will conduct rail service trials and qualification testing to evaluate the technology's readiness for the freight-rail sector. Ballard plans to deliver six of its 200-kilowatt fuel cell modules to CP in 2021. (ben)