Australia-based Fortescue Future Industries has announced an agreement with Deutsche Bahn (DB) to cooperate on research investigating green hydrogen and ammonia gas fuels in rail applications.
FFI and DB have ambitious climate targets and are both moving as quickly as possible to remove diesel from their operations and replace it with green fuels and zero-emission solutions.
This agreement outlines a proposal for FFI to participate in DB’s research and development into a carbon-free internal combustion engine, with the research having the potential to accelerate Fortescue’s Green Fleet rail delivery program.
The agreement follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between FFI and DB, which centres on the companies’ intentions to work together collaboratively on decarbonisation technology opportunities.
Fortescue founder and executive chairman Andrew Forrest said the company was developing green hydrogen and green energy innovations and technology, with a specific focus on decarbonising hard-to-abate industries.
“We know that cutting edge technology and real-world solutions are key to addressing climate change which is why Fortescue is partnering with Deutsche Bahn, Europe’s leading mobility and logistics provider,” he said.
“Together FFI and DB will work to reduce global emissions given the urgency to find new ways to replace fossil fuels in the transport industry.”
DB board member for digitisation and technology Daniela Gerd tom Markotten said the company was “saying goodbye” to diesel and relying on the latest technologies, including the ammonia-hydrogen engine.
“This engine makes it possible to continue operating existing diesel vehicles without emissions. Our customers are already travelling by the most climate-friendly means of transport.
By 2040, the railway will be completely climate-neutral,” she said.
The ammonia-hydrogen engine is based on an existing type of diesel engine. This is modified so that it can run on green ammonia and green hydrogen. The advantage over a pure hydrogen engine is that ammonia has a higher energy density than liquid hydrogen and is easier to transport and store.
The key technology of the ammonia-hydrogen engine is a so-called cracker from the Stuttgart-based company Ammonigy, which splits a small part of the ammonia outside the engine into hydrogen and nitrogen. The hydrogen produced in this way is then mixed with the remaining ammonia as an ignition gas and ensures CO2-free combustion.
A first prototype is currently being tested on an engine test bench. Together with FFI, DB is developing this technology further, including endurance tests and emission measurements. In total, both companies are investing a mid-six-figure sum in the development project.
FFI and DB’s partnership builds on Fortescue’s announcement in March 2022 to develop with FFI and Williams Advanced Engineering the world’s first regenerating battery electric iron ore train. Pre-feasibility studies are progressing, with delivery of the first Infinity Train scheduled to be operational by the end of 2027.
“We want to seize the opportunity to support the decarbonisation of the rail industry through developing multiple technologies,” Forrest said.
“Not every railway around the world will have as favourable topography as we do at our sites in Australia, therefore it makes sense to look at different technologies.”
