The world's first hydrogen-powered passenger ship.
The world's first hydrogen-powered passenger train is expected to enter service in Germany in 2017.
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| A prototype of the Coradia iLint spacecraft. Photo: Science Alert. |
According to Science Alert, the French shipping company Alstom unveiled the world's first hydrogen-powered passenger ship, the "Coradia iLint," at the InnoTrans trade show in Berlin, Germany, from September 20 to 23.
The Coradia iLint operates very quietly on long journeys and is environmentally friendly, producing no greenhouse gas emissions but only releasing condensation and excess water vapor into the atmosphere.
According to Die Welt, the government of Lower Saxony, Germany, has ordered 14 Coradia iLint trains from Alstom to operate on the Buxtehude, Bremervörde, Bremerhaven, and Cuxhaven routes. Inspection and approval procedures are scheduled to be completed later this year. The trains are expected to officially begin service in December 2017.
The primary power source for the Coradia iLint spacecraft is hydrogen stored in tanks on the roof and oxygen from the air. A chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen occurs in a separate chamber, generating energy that is used directly and stored in lithium-ion batteries located on the underside of the spacecraft.
The train is relatively quiet compared to other diesel-fueled trains. It can reach a maximum speed of 140 km/h, travel a maximum distance of 800 km, and carry 300 passengers per trip.
Germany plans to use 60% renewable energy by 2050. The Coradia iLint train will replace 4,000 diesel-powered trains currently running in Germany, bringing the country closer to this goal.
According to VNE
