Hydrogen Project for the Port Railways in Hamburg and Bremen

Joint project “sH2unter@ports” explores the implementation of a hydrogen-powered shunting locomotive. A new joint project, consisting of six partners from science and industry, is now addressing the question of how to implement the operation of shunting locomotives in the port in a climate-neutral manner. The kickoff for this innovative research and development project will take place during a kickoff meeting on January 26, where the partners will gather in Bremen.

(Hamburg) The cooperation partners include the Elbe-Weser Railways and Transport Company GmbH (evb), the Smart Mobility Institute at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences, the Institute for Energy and Circular Economy at Bremen University of Applied Sciences (IEKrW), Alstom, bremenports GmbH & Co. KG (bp), and the Hamburg Port Authority AöR.

Together, the project partners are working towards the goal of converting shunting locomotives in the Bremen and Hamburg port areas to operate on hydrogen. This involves researching the prerequisites and requirements for the conversion, determining the conditions for refueling, and clarifying safety and legal issues. At the end of the project, a concrete implementation plan will be established. The project aims to make a significant contribution to achieving CO2 neutrality in the port by 2035.

Rail Network in the Port Cannot Be Electrified

While rail passenger transport is already predominantly electrified and operated with green electricity, shunting locomotives – especially in the port context – cannot be electrified via overhead lines. Equipping the powerful shunting locomotives with batteries is disadvantageous due to their high energy requirements and is currently not feasible due to available energy density, lifecycle costs, and charging cycles. For this reason, hydrogen technology is of interest for shunting operations.

Finding an Energy-Efficient Solution

The locomotives can be refueled with green, climate-neutral hydrogen. The energy stored in hydrogen can be converted back into electricity using fuel cells or through direct combustion. This electricity is used to drive the locomotive – completely without overhead lines. The goal is to find the most energy-efficient solution possible.

The results of the “sH2unter@ports” project are intended to be transferable to other ports and shunting operations. Thus, the project makes an important contribution to decarbonization. In addition to the climate-friendly conversion of shunting operations, the conversion of locomotives to hydrogen offers further perspectives for infrastructural changes in the operation of port facilities with green hydrogen.

Project Runs Until May 2024

The research and development project is expected to run until May 31, 2024, and is funded under the National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport. The funding guidelines are coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by the project sponsor Jülich (PtJ). The total project volume amounts to over 1.2 million euros.

Photo: © HHM/Annette Krüger