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Tag: Britain

Hydrogen-powered train makes UK maiden journey

Posted on by dishanth
Hydrogen-powered train makes UK maiden journey

A hydrogen-powered train has travelled on Britain’s rail network for the first time.

The prototype, called the Hydroflex, made a 25-mile round trip through Warwickshire and Worcestershire, reaching speeds of up to 50 mph.

Its next phase is to move the hydrogen tanks, fuel cell and battery out of a carriage and stash them underneath the train.

The aim is for the train to start carrying paying passengers by the end of 2021.

The perks of using hydrogen as an alternative fuel are not unknown. In 2008, the European Commission had already identified hydrogen as one of the new technologies that could help achieve a 60% to 80% reduction of greenhouse gases by 2050.

Today, the UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced the beginning of trials for HydroFLEX, the country’s first hydrogen-powered train.

Considered a huge step towards helping the UK achieve its 2050 net-zero emission goals, the train represents a key milestone for the rail industry and its commitment to sustainability. Here is what you need to know about the project.

 

What is HydroFLEX?

HydroFLEX is the UK’s first hydrogen-powered train. The project  – a partnership between the University of Birmingham and rolling stock company Porterbrook – took two years to develop as well as £1m in investment.

HydroFLEX has also received support from the UK Government, whose Department for Transport (DfT) contributed  £750,000 ). Out of £750,000, some £350,000 come from the DfT’s First of a Kind competition while another £400,000 was jointly provided by the DfT and Innovate UK.

 

 

How does it work?

HydroFLEX will not emit greenhouse gases, using instead hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, water and heat. The technology is expected to become available by 2023 when trains currently in use will be retrofitted with it.

The University of Birmingham is already working on the project’s next phase, which involves a hydrogen and battery-powered module that could be fitted underneath trains, allowing for more space in carriages.

“As we continue on our road to a green recovery, we know that to really harness the power of transport to improve our country – and to set a global gold standard – we must truly embed change,” said Shapps. “That’s why I’m delighted that through our plans to build back better we are embracing the power of hydrogen and the more sustainable, greener forms of transport it will bring.”

“The HydroFLEX project is a great example of how world-class research and development, together with the right industry partnerships, can deliver decarbonisation technologies that are both innovative and practical,” said University of Birmingham head of the college engineering and physical sciences Professor Stephen Jarvis.

“Successful mainline testing is a major milestone for HydroFLEX and is a clear demonstration of the important role hydrogen has to play in the UK’s rail industry.”

 

What was the industry reaction?

The industry’s overall response was positive. Porterbrook CEO Mary Grant reiterated the company’s commitment to delivering “a carbon-neutral and sustainable railway”.

“Today’s mainline testing of HydroFLEX achieves another important milestone on this journey,” she added. “I’m also delighted to be able to announce our intention to start producing HydroFLEX trains, creating the world’s first electric and hydrogen-powered bi-mode rolling stock, as well as generating significant opportunities for the UK supply chain.”

“As we look to generate an economic recovery, clean rail technologies can help spur economic growth across the UK, whilst also helping our rail industry to develop a competitive advantage from which it could export more overseas too,” commented Railway Industry Association (RIA) technical director David Clarke.

 

The future of hydrogen in the UK

While unveiling the new train, Shapps also announced the DfT’s plans to transform the Tees Valley, a region in the north-east of England, into a hydrogen transport hub.

The plan’s aim is to invest in hydrogen as an alternative fuel while creating hundreds of jobs in the area. The DfT has commissioned a masterplan to understand the feasibility of the hub. The research, to be published in January 2021, will focus on how hydrogen can power buses, heavy goods rail, maritime and aviation across the UK.

Through the government-sponsored Hydrogen for Transport programme, £6.3m will be destined to a hydrogen refuelling station as well as 19-powered refuse vehicles in Glasgow.

“The announcement today on the further progress of the Hydrogen for Transport Programme is a demonstration of the UK Government’s commitment to developing a hydrogen infrastructure as part of its efforts to decarbonise transport and encourage the shift to zero-emission vehicles,” said techUK CEO Julian David.

“The introduction of fleets of low carbon, self-powered trains, alongside a rolling programme of electrification, can help ensure rail leads the country’s decarbonisation revolution, generating jobs and investment in the process,” added RIA’s Clarke.

 

 

Source: BBC UK

Source: Railway Technology

This London street is the first in Britain to ban all petrol and diesel cars.

Posted on by dishanth
This London street is the first in Britain to ban all petrol and diesel cars.
  • A street in the heart of London’s financial district has banned petrol and diesel vehicles.
  • The aim is to bring nitrogen dioxide levels within guideline limits.
  • The 18-month trial will be used to consider similar plans for other streets.
  • Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to health in the UK, according to Public Health England.

One London street is taking extreme action against air pollution by banning all petrol and diesel cars.

Beech Street, in the heart of London’s financial district, will be restricted to zero-emission vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians by spring 2020, with exceptions made for emergency vehicles, access to car parks and for refuse collection and deliveries. The road, much of which runs underneath a housing estate, will participate in an initial trial for 18 months, while air quality and traffic are monitored.

 

“Drastically reducing air pollution requires radical actions, and these plans will help us eliminate toxic air on our streets,” said Jeremy Simons, chair of the City of London Corporation’s Environment Committee. “Nobody should have to breathe in dirty air.”

 

 

Road transport is responsible for around a fifth of UK greenhouse gas emissions, according to the country’s Office for National Statistics. While the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions fell by more than 30% from 1990 to 2017, emissions from road transport increased by 6% over the same period, it says.

 

While emissions overall have gone down in the UK, vehicle emissions have risen.
Image: UK Office for National Statistics

 

Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to health in the UK, according to Public Health England, with between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths a year attributed to long-term exposure. It has been linked to a range of diseases including coronary heart disease, strokes, respiratory disease and lung cancer.

And it’s a worldwide issue, with the World Health Organization estimating that more than 90% of the global population live in places where air quality levels exceed their recommended limits. London is among more than 30 cities that have signed the Fossil Fuel Free Streets Declaration, pledging to procure only zero-emission buses from 2025 and make a major area zero-emission by 2030.

 

Road traffic is on the up in the UK.
Image: UK Office for National Statistics

 

And capitals around the globe, including Oslo, Madrid and Mexico City, have started to look at banning cars from their streets.

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions will also be key in the fight against global warming. Public Health England says governments and local authorities must take action to limit and mitigate air pollutants.

The City of London Corporation’s plan aims to bring nitrogen dioxide levels on Beech Street within air-quality guidelines set out by the European Union and World Health Organization. After the trial, the corporation will decide whether similar measures are suitable for other streets.

“It will bring substantial health benefits,” says Oliver Sells, Streets and Walkways Committee Chairman. “The experimental scheme will be enforced using the latest in smart-camera technology and I hope it will be the first of many other schemes like this.”

 

 

Written by

Emma Charlton, Senior Writer, Formative Content

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.