0%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"' xml:lang="EN-US">. Hydrogen trains can avoid the need for expensive, conventional electrification infrastructure (overhead and unsightly catenary, bridge & tunnel upheavals, new power supplies etc).The runaway GWR costs should serve as a caution to the electrification aims of the Rail Franchise and the Metro; especially given the many tunnel, bridge and topography challenges of laying-down electrification infrastructure within Wales’ towns and cities, in rural areas and in the Valleys. Lines on the rail and Metro network may be better suited to hydrogen trains than conventional electrification on the grounds of infrastructure costs, civil engineering upheavals, appearance and power-supply constraints.

13. Hydrogen trains may have a cost premium when compared with conventional electric trains but these costs could be more than compensated for by avoiding expensive electrification infrastructure. i.e taking a whole-systems look at costs. Additionally, social, health and environmental costs should be factored-in to the Rail Franchise & The Metro to include air pollution, carbon emissions and noise pollution; all of which can be alleviated by hydrogen trains in common with conventional electrification.

14. Economic opportunities will result from the local production of hydrogen for transport applications, either from water via renewables or from natural gas (both technologies are feasible although renewables are the greenest and possibly highest value route). The cost of the fuel (i.e. hydrogen) would be largely sunk into capital assets for production, storage and transportation, delivering a payback and an economic opportunity; as opposed to paying for external electricity/diesel over which there is less or no control and which may also be less resilient due to power supply issues or weather-related incidents.

15. Such economic opportunities can help spread the wealth of the Rail Franchise and Metro by sourcing hydrogen from e.g. rural areas which have plentiful wind or solar resource, especially when involving community energy enterprises. Wind and solar developments currently face severe electricity grid constraints which can be by-passed by the production of hydrogen, so releasing the full potential of renewables in Wales and as a model which can be replicated elsewhere.

16. Ynni Glan calculates that should the entire Wales rail network be converted to hydrogen trains, the demand for renewably-sourced hydrogen could be met by the output equivalent to a total installed wind capacity of between 100 - 150MW.

17. To put this figure in context, this total wind capacity is approximately 50% of the Pen y Cymoedd wind farm along the Heads of the Valleys. And the capacity could be distributed around Wales in appropriate clusters to spread the wealth of producing hydrogen; also extending to solar and/or other forms of primary renewable generation.

18. Alternatively, stationary fuel cells such as Doosan’s can be configured to produce a slipstream of hydrogen for the trains from their input fuel of natural gas or biogas. The fuel cells can therefore be considered as flexible multi-generators - of power, heat/cooling and hydrogen - at the point of need with very low impact; and be suitable for supplying distributed energy for new low carbon developments adjacent to the Metro and also traction power for conventional electrified rail networks as appropriate.

19. The local production of hydrogen could extend to other applications including: injection into and decarbonisation of the gas grid; dedicated hydrogen grids for communities; electricity grid-balancing services; the sustainable production of ammonia (NH3) for agriculture; and for use in industry (chemicals, refineries, steel etc). The Rail Franchise & Metro opportunity could provide the kick-start and at the scale which is required to propel such complementary hydrogen-based innovations to sustainably grow Welsh the economy.

Guto Owen

Cyfarwyddwr/Director Ymgynghorwyr ar ddatblygu ynni glan o Gaerdydd. Ynni Glan is a clean energy consultancy based in Cardiff.

Ynni Glan

M +44 (0)7974 565421

E guto.owen@ynniglan.co.uk

@GutoOwenH2

Llyfr newydd ar William Grove, y Cymro a ddyfeisiodd y cell tanwydd.

New book on Welsh fuel cell inventor, William Grove.

uwp.co.uk/editions/9781786830043