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Ballard and Siemens sign $9M multi-year development agreement for fuel cell system to power Mireo light rail train; deployment in 2021

Ballard Power Systems has signed a Development Agreement with Siemens AG for the development of a hydrogen fuel cell engine to power Siemens’ Mireo light rail train. The Development Agreement has a contemplated value of approximately $9.0 million to Ballard.

Under the terms of the Development Agreement, Ballard will develop a 200 kW fuel cell system for integration into Siemens' new Mireo train platform. Mireo is a modular commuter train platform designed for speeds of up to 160 km/h (100 mph). With its lightweight design, energy-efficient components and intelligent onboard network management, the Mireo will consume up to 25% less energy than trains with similar passenger capacity. Initial deployments of the fuel cell-powered Mireo train are planned for 2021.

Siemens-mireo-with-caption

Our cooperation with Ballard is a decisive step towards replacing diesel-powered rail vehicles with emissions-free vehicles in the long term interests of sustainable and climate-friendly mobility. We want to be able to offer our customers flexible train solutions for various suburban routes, which vary according to regional conditions and technical possibilities.

—Sabrina Soussan, CEO of the Mobility Division at Siemens

Siemens is the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe, headquartered in Munich, Germany and with offices around the globe. Siemens has more than 350,000 employees worldwide and the Company generated revenue in excess of €79 billion (USD$94 billion) in 2016.

Comments

HarveyD

This will be a major development of Fuel Cells for electric trains without costly/unsightly overhead cables. Existing diesel/electric and pure e-locomotives could be converted.

An H2 refill station every 1000 Km would normally be enough. Suburban trains could refill at main stations only when passengers are embarking/disembarking.

Clean H2 could be generated from surplus/excess REs.

CheeseEater88

I honestly think we could build out Wind and Solar enough to meet the demands of whichever H2 fueling station to not be a problem for greenhouse gasses.(same for electric)

Power companies could get in on selling hydrogen, making excess H2 when demand is low/ and there is a surplus, then selling it back to the transportation market.

They could make an interesting profit, and become the Oil Barons of the next century.

I guess, if it came to it, we could have liquid/gaseous H2 storage, and have PEMs in the underpinnings below the tanks powering a cargo train, much like this commuter probably does. They'd need to run somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,200Kw, either in a pair, or per each. Cooling could be an issue if that big of a PEM is made. It could also be stacked with some batteries to level out power flow to the drive wheels, and regen brake for the train. Should be interesting to see what greed does for transportation.

HarveyD

I agree with CE88 that more REs could create the surplus/excess e-energy required to feed a clean H2 network.

Adding more REs to meet growing demands should not be a major problem.

Recent Japanese vertical type wind mills/turbines can withstand hurricane type winds. Coupled with solar panels, it could be well suited for States and Islands around the Golf of Mexico.

Local grids/distribution power lines should be underground where high speed winds and hurricanes are frequent.

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