NORTH AMERICA: Ballard Power Systems has signed two agreements to supply fuel cells for use on freight locomotives in Canada and passenger trains in the USA.
On December 5 Ballard announced a long-term supply agreement to provide Canadian Pacific Kansas City with 200 kW fuel cells for freight locomotives, with an initial order for 98 to be delivered in 2025.
This builds on a partnership which started in 2021 and has included the delivery of fuel cells for retrofitting to three prototype locos for trial use on shunting and freight services in Alberta.
The latest order ‘represents a step forward in CPKC’s decarbonisation vision and confidence in hydrogen fuel cells as a potential long-term replacement of diesel engines, providing the environmental benefits along with long range, fast refuelling, heavy payloads, and cold weather operation’, said Ballard President & CEO Randy MacEwen.
Ballard has also signed a multi-year agreement to supply Stadler with FCmove-HD+ fuel cells to power Flirt H2 multiple-units ordered by California Department of Transportation. This builds on more than three years of joint collaboration including the integration of Ballard fuel cells into the first Flirt H2.
‘This order grows our footprint in the rail market and validates the value proposition for Ballard fuel cell engines to power passenger rail in regions lacking catenary’, MacEwen said on December 9.
