Arriving Soon in California: First Intercity Zero-Emission, Hydrogen Passenger Trains in North America
This is a press release from the California Department of Transportation:
Caltrans [recently] signed a historic, $80 million contract with Stadler Rail, Inc. to deliver the first zero-emission, hydrogen intercity passenger trains in North America, furthering California’s standing as a world leader in clean transportation.
The vehicles will be based on Stadler’s successful Fast Light Intercity and Regional Train (FLIRT) concept, extending work done with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority to develop self-powered multiple-unit trains using zero-emission hydrogen fuel cells without the need of a separate locomotive. The purchase is funded through Governor Gavin Newsom’s historic $10 billion, multiyear zero-emission vehicle package, which included $407 million for the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) to demonstrate and purchase or lease state-of-the-art clean bus and rail equipment and infrastructure.
Rendering of zero-emission, hydrogen passenger train.
“California is once again leading the country in delivering innovative clean transportation options that benefit people and the planet,” said California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin. “These state-of-the-art hydrogen train sets will demonstrate the capability of an emerging technology and will complement our future electrified high-speed rail line for an expanded clean rail network.”
“California is using our transportation dollars to fund innovation solutions like these zero-emission, hydrogen passenger trains to significantly reduce planet-warming pollution and combat and adapt to climate change – while providing travelers an alternative to driving,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares.
“It is great to be part of California’s move toward eco-friendly travel with another zero-emission project in the state, and we look forward to continuing our work with the California State Transportation Agency and Caltrans to make this a reality,” said Martin Ritter, CEO Stadler US.
Fast Light Intercity and Regional Train (FLIRT).
The contract includes a base order of $80 million for the first four trainsets with options for up to 25 additional trainsets that can be used throughout California. While the base order of trains is expected to primarily operate between Merced and Sacramento on the expanded San Joaquin and Altamont Corridor Express Valley Rail services that will also connect with the early high-speed rail service between Merced and Bakersfield, the trains will also be demonstrated on corridors throughout the state in coordination with intercity and regional rail partners.
Officials sign historic, $80 million contract for first zero-emission, hydrogen intercity passenger trains in North America.
[The recent] announcement builds on more than $1 billion in zero-emission transportation investments in the past few months alone. In July, Governor Newsom announced approximately $450 million for zero-emission infrastructure, locomotives, vessels and vehicles as part of a historic investment to build a more efficient, sustainable and resilient supply chain. In April, Governor Newsom announced more than $690 million for public transportation projects that will result in the purchase of 277 new zero-emission vehicles statewide and the development of several high-priority mobility hubs and rail projects.
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Hydrogen is an excellent fuel. It’s even cleaner than burning natural gas.
And it can be produced locally with the surplus energy from offshore wind.
You and Country Joe drank all the Kool-Aid. Hydrogen is a sham intended to continue the enrichment of the oil barons.
Surplus energy! That’s funny. No such thing. If it was, then people would go back to running their dish and clothes washers at 5pm again and stop clapping the clapper as they left each room, thus, sucking up every last joule.
I think it would be great if the Guv would remove the state gas tax for a while until the price of gas comes down a bit. I was just in Texas and gas was under $3. Needless to say I filled up all my gas cans to bring back
Impossible, revealing to the public how much negative influence the state has actually had on high fuel price’s would be political suicide.
So… (ahem…) like where did the Hydrogen get produced ?
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There are four main sources for the commercial production of hydrogen: natural gas, oil, coal, and electrolysis of water; which account for 48%, 30%, 18% and 4% …
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Go figure…
Right. And each of those methods release as much co 2 as burning the fossil fuel and or uses twice as much energy as it produces. Generally the energy used to produce it comes from, yeah you guessed it! burning fossil fuels. Unless of course they have some secret program, setting up a huge solar array, wind farm or nuclear reactor with the sole purpose of producing hydrogen?
However, some people live in a Pollyanna world were everything is great as long as their tailpipe don’t stink. The simple fact that hydrogen is the least efficient fuel that could possibly be used, doesn’t enter their minds.
20 – 30% loss in creating and 10% compressing and containing. Over a 1/3 energy loss in delivering to your wheels. The only advantage to Hydrogen is that in can be stored and saved in high-pressure tanks, similar to propane tanks. And, it can be created from any energy source.
If the Greenies are going to save the world they had better start seeing beyond the end of their noses. By the way, I’m all for saving the world, But is more complicated than smelling your tailpipe and think everything is great.
“In order to produce hydrogen (with zero emissions) a process called, electrolysis. 20 – 30% of energy is lost in the process of creating hydrogen. The hydrogen must then be compressed and stored, losing another 10%.”
Modern alchemists can turn lead into gold, but the most practical way is to gather enough lead, sell it to a scrap metal dealer and buy gold.
Wow so California figured out a way to separate hydrogen from natural gas without releasing co 2 into the atmosphere? Or did they find out a way to extract it from Water without exerting twice as much Energy as they get out of it? Or is this just more b******* virtue signaling at taxpayers expense? Anybody ever heard of the hendersburg? I sure hope this train never derails or has an accident, not only will it be carrying a fuel tank full of hydrogen, but unlike the hendersburg that tank will be under extreme pressure as well,10,000psi. Big bota boom..
“In today’s early market, hydrogen is supplied primarily from industrial gas companies that produce hydrogen from natural gas. Since fuel cells are so much more efficient than gasoline powered engines, the overall greenhouse gas emissions are much lower (at least half) no matter which hydrogen production method is used.”
There are also solar-driven and biological processes to make hydrogen.
But I keep forgetting, we cannot have any new technology around here – or even allow it anywhere else. It would reduce our subservience to Big Oil
You should take a closer look at that, the amount of Energy used for electrolysis is far greater than the Energy You gain from the hydrogen. Hydrogen fuel cells are very low voltage and take a large amount of them to create enough energy to say run a train or a car. And when you separate the hydrogen in natural gas you release just as much carbon into the atmosphere as you would if you burned it. Using hydrogen to make power is low emissions, making the hydrogen, storing it and pressuring it for efficient use is the problem.
Several of the major oil companies are working on carbon capture technologies to scrub and store CO2 produced during the hydrogen production process. The plan is to capture and inject it into the earths’ crust. Sounds like it may be a thing, but real expensive.
They could do the same thing in a power plant that Burns natural gas or coal for that matter to produce power.
Which part didn’t you understand about:
“Or did they find out a way to extract it from Water without exerting twice as much Energy as they get out of it?”
More money we don’t have, up in smoke, as liberals cheer it on, just so they can feel good pretending to do good. Same shit when they give drug addict bums money and pretend they’ve done good, when in actuality the just contribute to the drug addicts addiction and make his life worse (as they drive away patting themselves on the back).
Liberalism is a mental disorder!
Woo-hoo California makes another leap towards going green, when will India ever catch up? Never, whose population is going at the fastest rate? They will never go green, way too expensive, crack me up. Like putting a bandaid made of 24k gold on a gunshot wound.
I know technology and storage have come a long way, but, should this project get derailed, might we be FLIRTing with disaster?
Isn’t it cute how the marketing/advertising pic shows a picturesque scene along the ocean!
it reminds me of Big Sur or Pacifica. they probably should have used a different setting.
I hope that they will building these train sets in Humboldt county! We can use the boost in our economy.
That would be nice, but, up, rails?! Maybe I missed the sarcasm in your type of font.
Sarcasm and tears that it can never happen. We can’t have anything that might help us earn a living in Humboldt.
Probably save the planet with getting all the people traveling between Merced and Sacramento. Maybe farm workers? On to their train. Another big pipe dream if your running for president someday Governor Newsome! People buying EV’s, maybe put more charging stations in N. Calif.
Put them in the sprawling megatropolis of Leggett, Garberville, Myers Flat, Klamath, Orick, etc etc etc…….