Irish Rail to test diesel-hydrogen retrofitted locomotive

National railway network operator Iarnrod Eireann Irish Rail and Latvia's dual fuel technology developer DIGAS have teamed up on a project to try to retrofit diesel-powered freight locomotives with hydrogen using the existing internal combustion engine (ICE).

Instead of going for the common approach of using fuel cells or specially produced hydrogen engines, the two partners will seek to apply a unique method where hydrogen will be used in the locomotive’s current ICE.

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As part of the project, the work on which has already been started, the Irish company will contribute a 071 Class diesel locomotive and also secure a workshop for the installation, testing and commissioning activities. DIGAS, in turn, will provide a hydrogen internal combustion engine (H2 ICE) retrofit kit.

The project is worth EUR 1.5 million (USD 1.60m).

Irish Rail currently has 18 diesel locomotives of the 071 class, 12 of which are used for freight operations. If the conversion tests are successful, these locomotives can be converted to greener and more efficient alternatives, said CEO Jim Meade.

The project is currently in the design process with trials planned to take place in two phases in 2024 and 2025. The first phase will be focused on static testing of the locomotion to check power and emissions output, while the second one will include service trials of the locomotion out on the rails.

The project is funded by Irish Rail and DIGAS, and co-funded by EIT Urban Mobility, a body of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and Mechanical Engineering Competence Centre, a Latvian body receiving the funding from the European Recovery and Resilience Facility. All designs and testing standards will be subject to approval from the Commission for Railway Regulation (CRR), Irish Rail noted in the statement.

(EUR 1 = USD 1.069)