Alstom and Plastic Omnium, a major player in hydrogen mobility, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the development of high-end hydrogen storage systems for the railway sector.
“The planned combination of Plastic Omnium’s expertise in hydrogen storage solutions and our expertise in hydrogen trains is in this regard an important milestone to build an innovative and strong hydro rail value chain,” Thierry Best, the Chief Commercial Officer at Alstom said.
The two companies will cooperate and combine their complementary know-how and capabilities in their respective domains. A dedicated team has been set up to manage the technical and commercial development of innovative and competitive hydrogen onboard storage solutions for the railway market.
“Our partnership with Alstom aims to develop high-performance hydrogen solutions capable of tackling the sustainability challenges facing railway transport. It is another step on the path toward carbon-free mobility and further confirmation of our Group’s expertise in hydrogen solutions and its potential for growth as it reaches out to a new customer base,” Christian Kopp CEO of Plastic Omnium Clean Energy Systems division said.
This will enable the two partners, following development projects which have already started, to launch hydrogen storage systems on the market for regional trains in France and Italy, starting in 2022. This will allow direct journeys on non-electrified lines without using fossil fuels, while meeting the challenges of sustainable development.
Alstom has built the Coradia iLint, world’s first hydrogen train, which entered operation for the first time in Germany and currently is tested in several European countries, after it was approved in other countries after successful trials.
In November 2020, Italy ordered hydrogen fuel cell trains for the first time. FNM and Alstom signed a EUR 160 million contract for the delivery of 6 trains, with an option for 8 additional units.
In April 2021, SNCF Voyageurs ordered country’s first hydrogen trains. The EUR 190 million contract awarded to Alstom covers the supply 12 electric-hydrogen trains with an option for two additional trains.
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