All Aboard The GO Hydrogen Express

After all, we've been here before with promises of hydrogen-powered cars (see "The Hype" below).

We don't have affordable, mass-produced hydrogen cars on the road today, but from an industrial perspective hydrogen is a $282 billion global market. The world relies heavily on hydrogen for fertilizer production, fuel upgrading, food processing and a number of other applications where demand for the zero-emission gas is growing.

Niche fuel-cell markets have also emerged, costs are slowly falling, and storage technologies are improving, even if profitability remains elusive. Fuel cells running on hydrogen are gaining traction for back-up power, while micro fuel cells are poised to appear in portable commercial electronics. Ballard Power and several other companies, meanwhile, have made a strong business case for using fuel cells to power forklifts.

And then there are trains, or "hydrails," as some call them.

"Hydrogen fuel cells as an application for passenger trains is very real," says Mike Hardt, vice-president of North American services for Bombardier.

In fact, Ontario may have some catching up to do if it's serious about being a world leader in hydrails. A European consortium called The Hydrogen Train concluded a study last year that looked at what it would take to demonstrate a hydrogen train in Denmark by 2010. It has approached all major train manufacturers, including Bombardier, and negotiations are ongoing.

Back in 2001, Bombardier also applied to the European Union for funding as part of a project to develop a hydrogen-powered "Green Train," but the funding request was denied. Activity is also going on in Japan and parts of the United States, such as North Carolina.

Momentum appears to be building, as an international hydrail conference started in 2005 will regroup next June for a fourth gathering in Spain.

"A hydrogen train makes a lot of sense because, unlike a car, fuel volume isn't a problem," says Greg Naterer, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, which is studying the benefits and barriers to establishing a hydrogen rail corridor in southern Ontario.

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http://www.thestar.com/article/268851 [Proofreader’s note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on October 22, 2007]