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8/9/2024
By Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor
Since late 2020, Canadian Pacific Kansas City has committed time, resources and expertise to a major effort that it characterizes as “a globally significant project.”
Began by Canadian Pacific well before it merged with Kansas City Southern last year, the undertaking targets the development of North America’s first zero-emission, line-haul, hydrogen-powered locomotive. And for CPKC, it would be self-developed motive power that fulfills both a macro- and micro-objective.
The hydrogen-fueled unit promises to bolster the railroad’s own climate change commitments by significantly reducing greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions from locomotive operations.
Hydrogen generates electrical power in a fuel cell, emitting only water vapor and warm air instead of any air pollutants. More than 90% of CPKC’s scope I GHG emissions are produced by the locomotive fleet.
In addition, the zero-emission locomotive would help support the entire freight-rail sector’s transition to low-carbon equipment, CPKC officials say. The hydrogen program positions the Class I at the leading edge of decarbonizing freight transportation, they believe.
“We want to demonstrate that hydrogen locomotives are feasible and can be practically operated in the industry,” says Kyle Mulligan, CPKC’s assistant vice president of operations technology, who heads the program.
Through the ongoing program, the railroad is converting three different types of diesel-electric locomotives into hydrogen units, which are equipped with hydrogen fuel cells and batteries that drive the electric traction motors.
For the past few years, CPKC has conducted service trials and qualification testing with several of the locomotives to evaluate hydrogen technology’s readiness for the freight-rail sector.
Based on analyses, testing and other factors, the railroad has found that the locomotives can effectively be used to decarbonize rail terminals and provide sufficient ranges to perform local mainline operations.
Before starting the program, CPKC determined battery-powered locomotives are too limited for its widespread use. Batteries add 25% more weight to a locomotive’s original platform and take up a significant amount of onboard capacity.
Plus, battery locomotives require duplicate assets because of lengthy recharge times, need fixed-point charging infrastructure and can only reach about 8% of a diesel-electric locomotive’s range.
A hydrogen-powered locomotive can attain up to 30% of that range without a tender. And a small number of batteries in a hydrogen unit can recapture energy from dynamic braking, saving hydrogen and extending range.
Moreover, the energy density is higher for hydrogen versus batteries and the operating performance of an original and converted-to-hydrogen locomotive is identical.
Battery locomotives don’t perform well in cold weather, either, losing about 40% of their capacity in low temperatures, says Mulligan.
“Hydrogen has proven to be the fuel of the future,” he says. “Biofuels can take you so far, but not to zero emissions. We want to build up the reliability of hydrogen locomotives and prove out the technology.”
A big advantage with hydrogen locomotives: They can be fueled either at fixed points or in the field.
“You can bring the fuel to the locomotive,” says Mulligan.
In addition, the refueling time for a hydrogen locomotive is far shorter than the recharge time for a battery locomotive, said CPKC Director of Mechanical Systems Matthew Findlay during a presentation July 9 at the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers’ summer meeting in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Hydrogen fueling takes about 45 minutes versus 14.2 hours for battery recharging.
In terms of fixed fueling points, CPKC has established hydrogen fueling facilities in Calgary and Edmonton. The sites will feature electrolyzers, or devices that use water electrolysis and electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gas.
When the program started, fuel cell-grade hydrogen availability was scarce to support testing, so the railroad plans to use the electrolyzers to provide production capability at the fueling facilities. As high-quality hydrogen supplies become more plentiful, the gas predominantly will be purchased, stored on site and dispensed to locomotives.
CPKC also plans to develop mobile fueling equipment for the locomotives. The Class I already has developed a faster and less costly way to convert diesel-electric locomotives into hydrogen-powered units. The batteries, fuel cells and storage areas — which are modular components — are integrated into pre-assemblies called “skids.”
The skid process is based on a technique used in the oil and gas industry, in which equipment typically isn’t assembled in the field, says Mulligan. Skids preserve the locomotive frame and enable a more rapid conversion process.
“Frames can outlast the engine and other locomotive parts. We designed skids, which pulls costs out of conversions and makes them more feasible,” says Mulligan. “It makes it modular and maintainable.”
Earlier in the program, CPKC converted two low-horsepower units into hydrogen locomotives. Those units have undergone extensive load testing since, mostly in local service.
During 20 mainline tests, the locomotives have registered more than 2,200 miles and moved over 1,300 cars. Weekly testing is performed with trains carrying more than 20,000 tons and shoved at 2,350 horsepower. The train speed during mainline test operations reaches up to 50 mph.
The test trains have handled local assignments in the Brooks Subdivision near Carseland, Alberta, and revenue service for a move from North Calgary to Alyth, Alberta.
Part of the testing has involved operating the locomotives in extreme cold, said Findlay during his presentation.
“They have run in minus-30 Celsius temperatures and were just fine,” he said.
Overall, the tests have proven successful so far.
“The reliability has been good. There have been no in-service failures,” says Mulligan. “We have thrown what we can at the locomotives.”
Crew members who have operated the test trains are touting the locomotives because they are quiet, don’t produce emission soot that gets onto clothing and don’t cause oil to coat handrails, he says.
Earlier this year, CPKC also began testing a high-horsepower hydrogen locomotive. Tests with the unit in coal revenue service are expected to start in August.
In addition, CSX recently began testing a hydrogen locomotive after converting a diesel unit with a kit developed by CPKC. In mid-2023, the two Class Is forged a joint venture to develop and deploy hydrogen conversion kits for diesel-electric locomotives.
As an initial step in the collaboration, CSX converted one of its diesel locomotives using CKPC’s hydrogen conversion kit. CSX unveiled the hydrogen unit in mid-April after completing the conversion at its locomotive shop in Huntington, West Virginia.
Now, the unit is undergoing field testing to evaluate its performance and operational feasibility.
And more hydrogen locomotives are expected to enter the testing phase at both Class Is by year’s end. CSX will begin testing two more four-axle locomotives while CPKC will start testing another high-horsepower unit and two SD40s that will operate in Lethbridge, Alberta, says Mulligan.
“Then there will be nine locomotives in testing, with three at CSX,” he says.
CPKC has obtained a CA$7 million grant from Emissions Reduction Alberta to test the two locomotives in regular switching and local freight service in the Lethbridge area to demonstrate how GHG emissions can be significantly reduced.
CPKC has opted to use hydrogen gas in its locomotives and not liquid hydrogen. If it escapes, the gas rises straight up and does not disperse, which would be a safety hazard since hydrogen is very flammable.
As tests continue, CPKC is refining its hydrogen locomotive designs to address capacity and range. The range isn’t an issue with low-horsepower units since they typically operate in yards, but it is a concern for high-horsepower locomotives that run on lines, says Mulligan. That’s why high-horsepower units require a tender car to carry fuel.
CPKC also is working through several operating issues, such as how to refuel hydrogen locomotives in the cold, handle and service them in shops, and train employees to maintain and repair them.
The overall goal with testing is to get to 20 equivalent years of operation. Typically, locomotive component failure rates are measured against 20 years of locomotive operation.
“To achieve the data to evaluate the reliability of the components and locomotive as a whole, it’s common to build a sample number of units and run them concurrently,” said Mulligan. “In our case, we are looking to build 20 total locomotives with CSX and deploy them in service for one year. The data will enable us to determine overall reliability and assess component failure rates.”
That effort likely will last into 2027. Then, the railroad will need to perform more tests on high-horsepower units, which might take until about 2030.
“We are looking at 2030 to 2050 to covert locomotives on an annual basis,” Mulligan estimates.
In the meantime, CPKC would consider partnerships with other Class Is to help advance the industry’s decarbonization movement.
“We have been contacted by the other Class Is and by other countries that have heavy-haul railroads like those in North America,” says Mulligan.
In addition, CPKC is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on potential funding opportunities associated with employing hydrogen locomotives at ports, such as those along the Gulf Coast, he says.
For CPKC, the decarbonization future is all about hydrogen. Other locomotive fuel sources — especially batteries — just have too many limitations, Mulligan stresses.
“We operate in cold weather and have trains that go uphill in the Rocky Mountains. That doesn’t justify battery locomotives,” he says.
Email questions or comments to jeff.stagl@tradepress.com.