DB Cargo to Transport Hydrogen by Rail

DB Cargo will soon transport urgently needed hydrogen by freight train. This concept represents an efficient alternative to pipelines for hydrogen – as they do not yet exist. The cooperation with the industry leads to a practical solution, as the rail network can also be used for hydrogen transport.

(Berlin) The German government estimates the demand for hydrogen to be around 100 terawatt-hours annually by 2030. For comparison: the total electricity consumption in Germany was recently around 580 terawatt-hours per year. “Hydrogen will play a significant role in the future energy mix. There are currently many new initiatives on how green hydrogen will reach Germany by sea,” says Dr. Sigrid Nikutta, CEO of DB Cargo AG and Board Member for Freight Transport of the DB Group. “We have developed a solution that brings hydrogen simply and efficiently from the ports to consumers in the hinterland, especially to our industrial customers. This creates a secure and efficient supply chain for the German economy.”

Dr. Nikutta further stated: “The German rail network is an environmental network with more than 35,000 kilometers of track length. DB Cargo alone serves more than 2,100 interfaces, customer connections, terminals, and inland ports. Green hydrogen needs green logistics – and we can already provide that today.”

Hydrogen imported to Germany is typically not in gaseous form but bound in liquids. This allows for uncomplicated and efficient transport by sea. In collaboration with energy suppliers, DB Cargo has developed a concept for transporting hydrogen to recipients far from seaports. The hydrogen remains in this liquid binding. This allows the usual tank cars in rail freight transport to be used. They are already widely used in the chemical industry. Only where hydrogen is to be used as an energy source will the cargo be “cracked” back into its components, separating the hydrogen and using it as an energy carrier.

DB Cargo is involved in various solutions for hydrogen logistics. The largest freight railway in Europe is also a co-partner of the “Reallabor Burghausen ChemDelta Bavaria” – a non-profit organization in the Bavarian chemical triangle. The future technology of hydrogen is being tested here in the tough industrial everyday life.

DB Cargo is also committed to developing innovative hydrogen containers and testing the logistics of pure hydrogen. This solution is sensible when it comes to the small-scale distribution of pure hydrogen to decentralized customers and users – for example, hydrogen filling stations. Specifically, DB Cargo is also organizing the supply of hydrogen trains from DB Regio, which are currently being tested in practical operation on various lines.

Photo: © DB AG / Georg Wagner / Image caption: Freight train on the way between Karlstadt and Himmelstadt