An Alternative to Subway
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on Sept. 23 that it initiated a hydrogen electric tram demonstration project for hydrogen tram commercialization by 2023 at an investment of 42.4 billion won.
These days, hydrogen trams are emerging as an alternative to the subway. The trams are powered by internal hydrogen fuel cells and, as such, no external power supply is needed and the cost of construction is relatively lower.
An electric tram requires more battery resources to cover a longer distance, which leads to an increase in weight, volume, production cost and charging time. A hydrogen tram is a better option for a longer distance and a higher frequency of operation.
The demonstration project is to commercialize 380 kW hydrogen trams. It is divided into the four segments of system integration and verification (led by Hyundai Rotem), hydrogen fuel cell technology development (Korea Automotive Technology Institute), technology and performance assessment (Korea Railroad Research Institute) and actual operation assessment (Ulsan TP).