The European project FCH2Rail, which developed a bimodal demonstrator train with hydrogen fuel cells, has successfully completed testing in Portugal. Between 3 and 6 April, the H2 train traveled on the Minho Line, making it the first hydrogen train in Portugal. With these tests, the FCH2Rail project achieved a great milestone, having obtained authorization to run the train demonstrator in a second European country.
The tests performed in Portugal are part of the extended testing campaign initiated in May 2023 on the Spanish railway network. Now, after the testing in Portugal, the train has already traveled more than 8,500 km in hydrogen mode. The objective of the tests is to evaluate the behavior and reliability of the entire hydrogen and battery system, as well as the energy management system developed. By conducting tests on different lines and routes, the goal is to demonstrate the potential of this technology as an alternative to diesel trains, thus contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable rail transport system.
The success in the development of this project confirms and reinforces the commitment of the FCH2Rail consortium to the development of hydrogen trains as an environmentally friendly mobility solution. Besides Infrastructures of Portugal (IP), the project consortium includes CAF, Adif, Renfe, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Toyota Motor Europe, the Spanish National Hydrogen Centre (CNH2), and Stemmann Technik. The project is funded by the European Clean Hydrogen Partnership.
In this stage of the tests, the project was supported by other companies such as STELLANTIS, which ceded the use of its facilities in Porriño (Pontevedra) to refuel the train during the testing stage in Portugal, MEDWAY, which provided train drivers for the operation of the train during the tests, and IBERDROLA, for the supply of green hydrogen for the trial tests.