China: The city of Foshan has suspended the operation of five three-car trams powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
According to the line operator, Gaoming Modern Rail Transit, the decision is due to the need to overhaul equipment and infrastructure. The time required to complete all the work is currently being assessed.
The 6.5 km pilot line with ten stations, built with an investment of over $117 mln, was launched at the end of 2019. By the beginning of 2024, the trams have travelled 425,000 km and carried more than 600,000 passengers, or about 410 people per day.
The 27T hydrogen trams produced by CRRC are based on the ForCity 15T, the first low-floor tram of Škoda Group. A licence agreement was signed with the Czech car-builder in 2013 for the next ten years, allowing the release of up to 400 trams with various modifications.
Each tram, built for Foshan, is equipped with two 200 kW Ballard hydrogen fuel cells. The traction system is said to allow the vehicle to reach 70 km/h and operate in the range of 100–125 km. The fuel cells can be refuelled in just 15 minutes, with a consumption rate of 20–30 kg per 100 km. The tram can accommodate up to 360 passengers.
It is worth noting that the termination of the line coincided with the standard end-of-life date for fuel cells. As the German association VDE indicated in 2020, they should be replaced every five years.
Currently, only one major manufacturer, Hyundai Rotem, is developing hydrogen trams. In Daejeon, South Korea, a line with 34 H2 trams built by the company is due to to start operating at the end of 2028.
