China Rolls Out First Hydrogen-Powered Tram

Trams powered by hydrogen may soon be one of the pulling powers of China, even as the technique of using hydrogen is being used elsewhere to drive cars as well as other forms of transport, according to rt.

It is the first time that a hydrogen-powered tram has been manufactured in Qingdao, located 650 kilometers southeast of its capital, Beijing, said Liang Jianying, who is the chief engineer of the Sifang Company, a subsidiary of the China South Rail Corporation.

"It took two years for Sifang to solve key technological problems, with the help of research institutions," Liang said, according to the local Xinhua news agency.

The hydrogen-powered tram is not only a source of clean energy, but also uses water as its only emission. It will help to cut energy running costs, can run for about 100 kilometers at about 70 kms/hour and takes just three minutes to refuel.

"The average distance of tramcar lines in China is about 15 kilometers, which means one refill for our tram is enough for three round trips," Liang added.

Even as the temperature of the reaction within the fuel cell is managed, under control, at 100 degrees Celsius, it will not produce any nitrogen oxides.

With its 60 seats, the tram can carry at least 380 passengers.

China's need for green transport is quite crucial, as more than 90 percent of its urban areas are below the threshold for air safety standards in 2014, according to the Chinese Environmental Protection Ministry.

The tram shows up the Chinese government's commitment to come up with a solution to its smog problem. Even as the "war on pollution," which was started a year ago, is making some impact, "hazardous emergencies" still run in hundreds, the ministry noted.

A recent study by Cambridge Econometrics, commissioned by the European Climate Foundation, found through a survey on electric cars that using hydrogen cells can help UK motorists to save £13 billion, or $19.4 billion in fuel costs, while oil imports can reduce by 40 percent by 2030.

The health advantages too would increase by over £1 billion, if there is a fall in pollutants such as nitrogen, oxide and particulates, reducing the rate of respiratory illness.

"There will be a transition in the next five to 10 years, but you won't see a sudden shift to electric vehicles until consumers have got over their 'range anxiety' concerns and that will only happen with infrastructure spending," said Philip Summerton, one of the report's authors.