The train is a Renfe commuter unit in which a new electric generation system has been installed based on the hybridization of energy from hydrogen cells and batteries, integrating in turn with the traction system already existing in the vehicle.
Thus, it is one of the first railway demonstrators of a bimode vehicle that will be able to run in electric mode on electrified infrastructure and in hybrid mode on sections without catenary.
After the static tests of the train at the CAF Zaragoza plant, the dynamic tests of the train will be carried out at the CAF Zaragoza plant.
The dynamic tests will allow to check the hybridization of cells and batteries in the lines that have been defined as representative in the project, simulating in all of them the commercial service, and testing the system in a wide range of power demand conditions. In this way it will be possible to evaluate the competitiveness of the new hybrid bimode propulsion solution compared to diesel traction.
With a budget of 14 million euros, the project is funded with 10 million euros from the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, formerly FCH2 JU, the European Commission agency dedicated to promoting the development of hydrogen and fuel cells.
