Minister of Mobility and CEO of Infrabel discover BeHydro hydrogen engines during visit at ABC

During the working visit, the concept and operation of the BEH₂YDRO dual-fuel hydrogen engines were explained. These innovative engines, developed and marketed jointly by ABC and Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB), emit 85% less CO₂ than a conventional diesel engine. Up to 85 % of diesel fuel is replaced by hydrogen and the remaining 15 % of diesel can be replaced by carbon-neutral biofuel.

In addition to possible rail electrification, the use of green hydrogen for rail transport is also being considered as part of the green energy transition to achieve the climate targets. A concept note of the hydrogen locomotive was previously explained during a visit to North Sea Port at the end of last year.

The intended applications are freight trains with a large engine capacity on railway lines that are not electrified for technical reasons (e.g. shunting in port areas) or because of lower rail traffic, and organising carbon-neutral 'first and last mile' operation. Infrabel currently has several HLD 77 locomotives with an ABC diesel engine for these operation on non-electrified tracks.

The BEH₂YDRO dual-fuel hydrogen engine is a further development of the existing 6DZC diesel engine that is also installed in the HLD 77 locomotive. The hydrogen combustion engine has a higher power output than hydrogen fuel cells or batteries, and also greater autonomy than batteries. Additionally, the existing diesel engines can be easily converted to hydrogen engines.

To realise this conversion, BEH₂YDRO asked the Federal Minister and Infrabel to make one or two locomotives of type HLD 77 available for conversion, homologation, technical and operational testing for a certain period. In addition, the company asked for the engagement of a project owner and for financial support, citing the following opportunities:

• Achieving environmental gains by reducing CO₂, NOx and soot emissions on existing locomotives of the type HLD77.
  This contributes to the green energy transition of Belgian rail transport on non-electrified lines in the context of sustainable mobility. It is also a sustainable solution for the existing fleet of 170 HLD 77 locomotives that have not yet been written off. These locomotives are now at midlife of their total 40-year service life.

• The conversion of the existing engines to hydrogen ones will provide an entirely Belgian collaboration of partners in innovative hydrogen technology.
• This prototype project is feasible in the short term: the BEH₂YDRO dual-fuel hydrogen engine has already been developed and extensively tested and is available immediately.

With the working visit of the Vice Prime Minister and the CEO of Infrabel to the site in Ghent, the BEH₂YDRO management hopes to be able to make the HLD77 locomotives, which operate on non-electrified tracks, more sustainable and to implement its know-how in the field of innovative hydrogen engines.

BEH₂YDRO
The hydrogen future is now