Russia intends to launch passenger transportation on hydrogen trains in the fourth quarter of 2025. This is two years later than originally planned. The reason for the shift in terms is associated with the “innovativeness of the project”, since this is a complex and science-intensive process, as well as with the departure of the French company Air Liquide from Russia, which was supposed to help Rosatom produce low-carbon hydrogen.
According to the RBC publication, the launch of passenger transportation on trains with hydrogen elements was to take place on Sakhalin with the participation of Rosatom, Russian Railways and the rail rolling stock manufacturer Transmashholding. This project was announced back in 2019 at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). Two years later, Russian Railways showed a presentation of the project, where the cost of seven hydrogen trains was estimated at more than 3 billion rubles. The actual cost is currently unknown.
To implement such an ambitious plan, it is necessary to solve the issues of obtaining hydrogen on Sakhalin, its transportation, refueling, train maintenance and the development of an appropriate regulatory framework. The Russian side was supposed to be assisted in this by the French company Air Liquide, which withdrew from the project in September last year. Rusatom Overseas (a subsidiary of Rosatom) signed a memorandum on the construction of a hydrogen plant and the supply of low-carbon fuel to China from 2025 with the Chinese corporation China Energy Engineering Group. The partners will build two hydrogen refueling complexes, a workshop building for the maintenance and repair of trains in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and reconstruct a maintenance workshop building in Kholmsk.
At the first stage, it is planned to use foreign hydrogen fuel cells and a hydrogen storage system. In the future, Russian components and technologies will be used. Experts believe that the cost of the project could rise to 5 billion rubles.
Source: Trash Box
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