CZ LOKO is investigating the possibility of constructing a hydrogen-powered locomotive. The HydrogenShunter 1000 is the working title for this project.
The idea of the Czech locomotive maker is now in the research and development stage. If the corporation continues to create a prototype, this will be the deciding factor.
CZ Loko Sales Director Jan Kutálek unveiled the project during a technical conference sponsored by the Association of Railway Freight Carriers of the Czech Republic (esnad).
Kutálek spoke during the event on the issues the European Green Deal has posed to the sector, as well as his company’s response. He spoke about CZ Loko’s development of two types of dual and hybrid locomotives, as well as the need of keeping an eye on innovative alternatives like hydrogen.
He went on to argue that the Green Deal will result in a fundamental shift in the behavior of the whole EU market, but that the pace of change will be far greater than the market’s ability to adapt.
He noted that green ideas are expensive and can only be produced by the most powerful corporations and that some excellent discoveries come to a halt when analyses reveal that they aren’t operationally or financially viable.
CZ LOKO gave up on developing a compressed natural gas (CNG) locomotive for this reason. After finishing the technical design and manufacturing a prototype, it was determined that mass production was not feasible, and the project was shelved.
