(Bydgoszcz / Poland) – The Polish rolling stock manufacturer PESA SA is on the home stretch with its hydrogen-powered shunting locomotive certified for the European market. The new four-axle vehicle “SM42-6Dn” is powered by two 85-kilowatt fuel cells from the US manufacturer Ballard Power Systems Inc.
Schematic representation of the technical components of the PESA locomotive SM42-6Dn. © PESA
According to the data sheet, the locomotive's hydrogen tanks have a capacity of 175 kilograms. A filling enables 24-hour shunting operations, according to a Ballard Power blog. The braking system can produce 167,6 kilowatt hours through recuperation and store it in a lithium titanate oxide traction battery.
According to the company, the 70-ton locomotive is designed for shunting work and driving light freight trains at a maximum speed of 90 kilometers per hour. The model is a modernization of the diesel type SM42. The locomotive underwent an initial operational test at the PESA facility in Bydgoszcz in August 2022 and was presented together with a mobile refueling station at the Berlin InnoTrans congress and trade fair in September.
Hydrogen-powered passenger train planned
The SM42-6Dn is the first stage of PESA's program to integrate hydrogen technologies into its product range, the company said. The aim is to incorporate the experience gained from this project into the construction of a hydrogen-powered passenger train - a prototype is planned for 2025.
The renewable energy division of the Polish oil company PKN Orlen SA had set up a mobile hydrogen filling station on a test route in Płock, Poland, to carry out final homologation tests. The two companies want to offer the locomotive with a gas station as a package as part of a cooperation agreement.
Photos
The emission-free SM42-6Dn locomotive is to be marketed as a package with a hydrogen filling station. © Ballard Power Systems Inc.
