Sustainable mobility leader Alstom and energy infrastructure company Snam have signed a five-year agreement to develop hydrogen trains in Italy.
The agreement will come into effect after the conclusion of the first phase dedicated to feasibility studies planned in Autumn. The agreement aims to develop railway mobility projects including hydrogen trains and the related technological infrastructure, management and maintenance services.
As part of the agreement, Alstom will manufacture and maintain newly built or converted hydrogen trains, while Snam will develop the infrastructures for hydrogen production, transport and refuelling.
This cooperation is the result of the two companies’ joint commitment on hydrogen. In 2018, Alstom launched its Coradia iLint, the world’s first hydrogen train, which has successfully completed trail operation on a regional route in Germany. Snam is one of the first companies in the world to experiment a 10% hydrogen injection into the natural gas transportation network.
Commenting on this agreement, Marco Alverà, CEO of Snam said: “This move is a further contribution to the decarbonisation of transport and to the development of hydrogen economy in Italy. Hydrogen produced from renewables will become competitive with fossil fuels in a few years and will play a key role in the energy transition, particularly in industry, heating and heavy transport.
“It will be a pillar of the European Green New Deal and post-COVID investments. Snam is investing and innovating to make its network compatible with hydrogen, to encourage the development of new technologies and create an Italian supply chain. Our country has the opportunity to be among the world leaders in the sector, reaping the environmental and economic benefits of this climate leadership.”
“We believe in hydrogen. This is the reason why we have signed a partnership with Snam. Coradia iLint, the first hydrogen-powered train, is already in passenger service between the towns of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervörde and Buxtehudehe in Germany,” said Michele Viale, Managing Director of Alstom Italy and Switzerland.
“We hope that Coradia iLint hydrogen trains will soon become a reality in Italy, too. Thanks to a partner like Snam we will be able to respond to the market by offering a full-fledged solution.”
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