Transporting hydrogen by rail
By 2030, DB Cargo is aiming to transport 20% of the estimated hydrogen demand in Germany - the equivalent of about 20 terawatt hours - by rail. To achieve this goal, the freight railway is currently working on logistics solutions with the industry.
The carrier says that transporting hydrogen by rail is a competitive alternative to pipelines, which are yet to be built in Germany, and to road haulage, which produces 80% to 100% more CO2 than rail transport.
According to DB Cargo, various logistics solutions are emerging for the transport of large quantities of H2 by rail. One possibility is to transport H2 in liquid form in the tank wagons commonly deployed by the chemical industry and to crack it where it is to be used as an energy source.
Work is also in progress on special hydrogen containers, which will allow suppliers to deliver both cryogenic liquefied hydrogen (up to -253 degrees Celsius) and pure - gaseous – hydrogen by rail. (ben)