Future loco power?

[spudfan]

This is an interesting piece on the new "green" hydrogen power for locomtives. How "green"  is the production of the new "green "fuel?

Both are very good reads.

Traction Technology: Are hydrogen locomotives the next big thing?

Traction Technology: Are hydrogen locomotives the next big thing? | In depth | Railway Gazette International

Gas-fuelled freight locomotive under development

Gas-fuelled freight locomotive under development | News | Railway Gazette International

If the links do not work, I will copy/paste the texts.

[irishrailways52]

interesting indeed. I often wonder how good electric is as well. would it be worth wile for Irish rail to build some sort of a wind farm or a hydro station for future network electrification

[Horsetan]

On 22/1/2024 at 8:50 PM, irishrailways52 said:

....would it be worth wile for Irish rail to build some sort of a wind farm ....

If they could tap the guff coming out of Daíl Eireann, I'd say they'd have an inexhaustible supply of wind.

[irishmail]

1 hour ago, Horsetan said:

If they could tap the guff coming out of Daíl Eireann, I'd say they'd have an inexhaustible supply of wind.

Could join forces with Westminster and there would be enough power for years to come.   

[Noel]

Beware Hydrogen does not necessarily mean HFC. There's green hydrogen and there's real green hydrogen. Beware, for big oil some forms of hydrogen are really just hydrocarbons by the back door. True green hydrogen is produced exclsuively from non-fossil electricity generation (ie wind/hydro/solar/pumped storage). The amount of energy it takes to produce hydrogen is massive and today mainly oil based, and the distribution costs are not alone high, but relay on fossil distribution, while every home already has a 3pin socket connected to the electricity grid which is the most efficient and economically viable energy distribution method. IMHO HFCEV tech may have a large role to play in HGVs, heavy agri, heavy construction and Hydrogen a role in grid storage and grid peaking, but doesn't make the cut for personal mobility (ie car transport). Today there are only 5 H pumps in the entire UK, and zero in Ireland, but the electricity grid in both countries already exists to every home. Ireland is ideally positioned to have a 100% green grid within 10 years (ie true green rather than green washed), and so rail transport could switch to electric. EU won't allow diesel much longer anyway. Hydrogen ICE is still combustion and generates CO2, its cleaner but no where near as clean nor efficient as our electric. Hydrogen ICE still means high maintenance costs and oil lubes, as it's basically still a mechanical combustion engine. A 201 has been trailed with this, an improvement over straight diesel with its fifty NoX emissions, but its still combustion and emits CO2. Have we run out of time for gradual managed transition?

[Broithe]

4 hours ago, Noel said:

 its still combustion and emits CO2. 

There shouldn't be much carbon available, mostly just some from the lubrication.

CO and CO₂ emissions should be fairly low, surely?

The carbon in the air will be mostly CO₂ already.

[jhb171achill]

On 22/1/2024 at 8:50 PM, irishrailways52 said:

interesting indeed. I often wonder how good electric is as well. would it be worth wile for Irish rail to build some sort of a wind farm or a hydro station for future network electrification

Like the Giant's Causeway Tramway did in the 1880s!

6 hours ago, irishmail said:

Could join forces with Westminster and there would be enough power for years to come.   

Or the White House if trump reappears! Indeed - many governments, and many company boardrooms...................

Edited February 3 by jhb171achill

[DiveController]

On 17/1/2024 at 1:12 PM, spudfan said:

On 17/1/2024 at 1:12 PM, spudfan said:

This is an interesting piece on the new "green" hydrogen power for locomtives. How "green"  is the production of the new "green "fuel?

Both are very good reads.

Traction Technology: Are hydrogen locomotives the next big thing?

Traction Technology: Are hydrogen locomotives the next big thing? | In depth | Railway Gazette International

Gas-fuelled freight locomotive under development

Gas-fuelled freight locomotive under development | News | Railway Gazette International

If the links do not work, I will copy/paste the texts.

Given how little freight and passengers are conveyed by Irish Rail I wonder if this would make any significant impact other then to tick some boxes

On 22/1/2024 at 2:50 PM, irishrailways52 said:

interesting indeed. I often wonder how good electric is as well. would it be worth wile for Irish rail to build some sort of a wind farm or a hydro station for future network electrification

Not sure why they would bother, given this should already be in place by the Irish government. Have any fossil fuel powered generator station in Ireland been eliminated by green energy from, wind, tide/hydro dare I ask?

[irishrailways52]

19 hours ago, DiveController said:

Given how little freight and passengers are conveyed by Irish Rail I wonder if this would make any significant impact other then to tick some boxes

Not sure why they would bother, given this should already be in place by the Irish government. Have any fossil fuel powered generator station in Ireland been eliminated by green energy from, wind, tide/hydro dare I ask?

edenderry is now run on biomass but that biomass has to come from the other side of the world so its not so environmentally friendly as board na mona say it is.

[Horsetan]

2 hours ago, irishrailways52 said:

.... that biomass has to come from the other side of the world ....

Out of sight, out of mind.