Stationary fuel cell power supply for railway electrification systems

Abstract

The reduction of CO2 emissions in the transport sector is one of the main objectives of the railway industry. Reliable railway operations require a dynamic and reliable energy supply and a direct access to renewable energy sources. Stationary fuel cell systems allow a decentralised power supply to reduce the grid dependency and allow the direct usage of green hydrogen, which can be produced in the vicinity of the railway line. The good transportability of hydrogen as a long-term energy storage medium in combination with the low maintenance and infrastructure cost of stationary fuel cells make hydrogen a viable solution for the electrification of some railway lines. Because of the good efficiency and the possibility of usage in co-generation systems, solid-oxide fuel cells systems would support the targeted environmental goals. By utilising and extending the existing infrastructure of catenary electrified tracks and operating with a simplified mobile application, a low maintenance and efficient stationary energy generation technology is proposed in this paper, to allow a cost-and energy-efficient decarbonisation of the railway industry.