One more expression of the magic thinking that surrounds hydrogen technologies. Now we see it applied to the one sector of transportation where it is definitely not needed: railroads.
Why would we need a "green hydrogen train" when railroads in Europe are mostly electrified? Electric trains are already the greenest land transportation technology we have, and they become more and more green as renewable energy penetrates the grid. Wouldn't it be easier and more efficient to electrify a line rather than using an expensive experimental technology? Hydrogen is way less efficient than batteries in terms of energy storage.
So, with great fanfare, the French announce their hydrogen train. No reason for why such a train would be desirable is given. It is pure magical thinking at work. Hydrogen is good for the environment because it is hydrogen.
The beauty of the story is that they even mention at the end of the article that, you know, this thing is "a little expensive." 14 million Euros for a one-track line. But -- hey -- don't you feel the magic?
Just as a note, the city of Bologna, in Italy, is now planning to introduce 127 hydrogen buses in its transportation system at the modest price of some 76 million euros. A little expensive, to say the least. But hydrogen is hydrogen.
Italy is getting a bunch of Hydrogen trains
ReplyDeletehttps://www.electrive.com/2023/07/21/stadler-receives-two-orders-for-h2-trains-from-italy/
Australoa has Hydrogen all over the news,.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-13/newcastle-hydrogen-hub-70-million-orica-origin-energy-government/102596112
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/18/aboriginal-owners-and-energy-investors-team-up-in-plan-for-3bn-green-hydrogen-plant-in-wa
https://www.globalaustralia.gov.au/industries/net-zero/hydrogen
you killed you Hydrogen stupidity blog in haste Ugo :)
The renewable paradigm inherits the interests of the fossil paradigm? Godzilla's egg is contaminated with the same stupidity? Probably.
ReplyDeleteCarlo Maria Cipolla enlighten us!!
Sí. Repasemos las leyes de la estupidez de Carlo Cipolla. Es lo único que cabe.
DeleteWell... It's not so magical.
ReplyDeleteWhile electric trains are clearly the most efficient, the electrification is not trivial in some places. Although in this case, I guess is just tech marketing, there is cases where the traffic is so low that it has sense to build a train moved by fuel instead of paying the electrification of the line. And hydrogen is just a fuel option.
Over an unlimited time, long term investments always seems the best option (so, electrification), but in the real world very long investments are not always the best, because a lot can change in that time that breaks all the numbers. That's the reason because the traffic of the line matters. To make reasonable a fast rail system, where the cost is sometimes more expensive that a slow one, a high traffic is needed. On the lower end, it happens the opposite with very low traffic lines, where electrification couldn't be the cheapest option in a, for example, two decades year period.
And from what energy source is this Hydrogen derived? Hydrogen is just a medium of energy transfer, it is not a supply of energy.
ReplyDelete