Page 29 - Innovation in energy management: contribution of railways to sustainable mobility

commercial projects for the use of hydrogen with a fuel cell in passenger or manoeuvring
vehicles (and to a lesser extent line locomotives).

R.13. Promote traction with LNG

Investment: Nature: Improvement:

Related to:

R.16

The enhancement of other energy vectors such as LNG should not be ignored. This fuel
has already been studied in Spain in different research projects on diesel rolling stock.
The results have been very satisfactory.

LNG has great advantages of use compared to other alternative fuels. In this sense,
although the emissions are not zero as is the case with the use of hydrogen, its
technological maturity, its security of supply and its security of use are greater in
comparison.

In economic terms, the use of LNG as a new energy vector for railway traction is also more
advantageous. Thus, the investment associated with both the supply and refuelling chain
and the adaptation of the traction chain is less in all cases. Likewise, the cost of raw
materials is also lower.

Finally, the ability of each operator’s existing vehicles to adapt competitively to LNG, is
greater than for the use of hydrogen.

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