For take-off and widespread adoption of low-carbon hydrogen transport, net-zero emission targets imposed by cities and governments would appear to be a necessary prerequisite. Already cities like Berlin, Milan, Singapore and Beijing are planning measures to cut air pollution generated by transport.
London, whose Ultra Low Emission Zone covers the city's central core, has reduced exhaust NOx emissions by up to 45% with its 9,142-strong bus fleet that includes 155 electric, 10 fuel cell buses and 20 hydrogen buses on order.
Countries like China and the EU have increased their emission control standards under the Paris Accord, while ships' sulphur emissions were reduced at the beginning of this year under new regulations from the International Maritime Organisation.
To tackle climate change, a global step-change toward low-carbon transport is essential. The two most promising alternatives to petrol —and diesel— fuelled transport are batteries and hydrogen. While electric vehicles powered by batteries have dominated the attention of mass media, manufacturers such as Van Hool, Hyundai, Siemens and Toyota, are working on hydrogen-powered buses, trucks and trains.
Hydrogen has long been viewed as crucial to achieve zero-emission mass transportation and lower air pollution by the International Energy Agency, the European Commission, governments and cities. For example, Paris, Mexico City and Amsterdam plan to replace their existing buses and trucks with hydrogen or battery power as soon as 2025.
Similarly, freight logistics company DHL, the brewer Budweiser and the French Post Office (La Poste) are adopting hydrogen-powered road-based transportation. As for hydrogen-fuelled trains, French train-maker Alstom has introduced the Coradia LINT, an articulated railcar designed for non-electrified rural lines. Its hydrogen railcar is used in Germany, Canada and Denmark.
At sea, hydrogen technology is less advanced, and progress is slow. One exception is Viking, the cruise ship line, which has ordered hydrogen-fuelled ships. For container shipping, progress is even more tentative, though ABB is working with Hydrogène de France to develop a large-scale hydrogen fuel cell system to power container ships. In the luxury yachting segment, Baltic Yachts has announced plans to build a series of 108-foot WinWin racing yacht to use wind power and hydrogen-fuelled engines.
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