HIGHLIGHTS:
- Japan’s first hydrogen-powered train has been launched
- It can travel up to 140 kilometers at speed of 100 kilometers per hour on single filling of hydrogen fuel
- East Japan Railway collaborated with Hitachi and Toyota Motor Corporation to design the train
Japan’s first hydrogen-powered train has been launched. This ceremony is being viewed as a step toward the country’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Throughout March, the hydrogen-fueled train will be put to the test in the country.
Specialty of the train
The two-car train “Hybari,” which costs more than USD 35 million or 4 billion yen, can travel up to 140 kilometres (87 miles) at a top speed of 100 kilometres per hour on single filling of hydrogen fuel.
Who has developed this train?
East Japan Railway collaborated with Hitachi and Toyota Motor Corporation to design the train. The country intends to replace its diesel fleet with hydrogen-powered trains, & will also look forward to export. Commercial services are expected to begin in 2030.
Which country was the first to introduce a hydrogen-powered train?
Europe has been a leader in hydrogen-fueled trains. In 2018, Alstom SA, a German company, launched the world’s first hydrogen-fueled train. Deutsche Bahn AG and Siemens AG are developing special fueling stations and new regional trains, which will be tested in 2024.
Japan has made hydrogen a primary clean-energy source in order to reach net-zero energy. With more commercial vehicles and fuel-cell buses on the road, Toyota plans to increase production of its second-generation hydrogen-fueled Mirai automobiles by tenfold.
Japan’s government intends to raise hydrogen use to 20 million tonnes by 2050. Kawasaki and Iwatani Heavy Industries, for example, are working to build hydrogen supply chains in order to reduce fuel costs.
