First hydrogen train in Japan ready for test run
Commercial services should begin in 2030
East Japan Railway Co, the largest railway company in Japan, is all set to begin testing the country's first hydrogen-fueled train next month.
This marks a huge 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 $35 million to develop and can travel up to 140 kilometres (87 miles) at a top speed of 100 km/h on a single filling of hydrogen, Bloomberg reports.
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East Japan Railway, which developed the train in partnership with Toyota Motor Corp and Hitachi Limited, plans 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 clock net zero.
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 Limited are trying to build hydrogen supply chains to bring down its price.
Toyota, meanwhile, 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.
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, which are expected to be tested in 2024.
