First Hydrogen Train in Japan to
Hit the Rails for Test Run
Japan’s first hydrogen fuel cell
train “Hybari.”Source:
JR East -
By:
Shiho Takezawa
Japan’s largest railway company will
begin testing the country’s first hydrogen-fueled train next month in
a step toward the nation’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
The two car “Hybari” train -- a
combination of hybrid and the Japanese word for a lark -- cost about 4
billion yen ($35 million) to develop and can travel up to 140
kilometers (87 miles) at a top speed of 100 km/h on a single filling
of hydrogen.
East Japan Railway Co., which developed the train in partnership
with
Toyota Motor Corp. and
Hitachi Ltd. plan to use them to replace its diesel fleet and look
to export markets. Commercial services should begin in 2030.
Japan has made hydrogen a
key clean-energy source to reach net zero. Toyota is aiming for a
tenfold increase in the production of hydrogen-fueled Mirai cars
with its second-generation model, while more fuel-cell buses and
commercial vehicles are on the road.
The government has said
it aims to
boost hydrogen’s usage amount to 20 million tons by 2050, while
energy companies like
Iwatani Corp. and
Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. are trying to build hydrogen supply
chains to bring down its price.
Europe has been a pioneer in hydrogen
trains, with Germany
rolling out the world’s first train built by
Alstom SA in 2018.
Siemens AG and
Deutsche Bahn AG are
developing new regional trains and special fueling stations and
will test them in 2024.
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