ALSTOM SA: First order of hydrogen trains in France – a historic
step towards sustainable mobility
PRESS RELEASE
April 8, 2021
First order of hydrogen trains in
France – a historic step towards sustainable
mobility
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes,
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Grand Est and Occitanie regions sign the
very first order of dual mode electric-hydrogen trains in
France. This marks a historic step in rail transport’s
reduction in CO2 emissions for the benefit of passengers and
regions, and in the development of a hydrogen ecosystem as well as
a promising sector for the future.
Acting on behalf of the four regions, SNCF Voyageurs has
placed an order with Alstom for the first 12 dual mode
electric-hydrogen trains (plus two optional trainsets) in the
Coradia Polyvalent range for Régiolis, developed by Alstom. The
contract is worth a total of almost 190 million euros1. In the
early days, trains were powered by steam and thermal, then electric
energy followed, this innovation marks a genuine revolution in rail
mobility. A first in France, it will work towards the energy
transition goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions and noise
pollution, an ambition supported by the French government through
its Hydrogen plan launched in June 2018. It is fully in line with
the PLANETER programme to reduce the environmental impact of SNCF
Voyageurs’ regional mobility solutions, based on the conviction
that introducing more TERs (regional express trains) can
significantly reduce CO2 emissions. Other French regions have
already expressed their interest in participating in a second phase
of the project.
This official French order for
hydrogen-powered trains is the result of two years of joint efforts
by the project’s various stakeholders. The dual mode
electric-hydrogen Coradia Polyvalent train meets the requirements
of France’s diverse rail network and has an autonomy of up to 600
km on sections of non-electrified railway. This four-car, 72m-long
train has a total capacity of 218 seats and the same dynamic
performance and level of comfort as the dual mode electric-diesel
version.
Almost 400 dual mode electric-thermal and
full-electric Coradia Polyvalent trains have been ordered by French
regions since 2011. The development and manufacture of Coradia
Polyvalent trains secure over 2,000 jobs in France for Alstom and
its suppliers. Six of Alstom’s 15 sites in France are involved in
the project: Reichshoffen (Bas-Rhin) for design and assembly,
Ornans (Doubs) for engines, Le Creusot (Saône-et-Loire) for bogies,
Tarbes (Hautes-Pyrénées) for traction chains and the development of
hydrogen propulsion, Villeurbanne (Rhône) for on-board electronics
and Saint-Ouen (Seine-Saint-Denis) for design.
“France has everything it needs to become
a hydrogen champion: the French government is fully committed to
turning this ambition into reality. We will be covering 47 million
euros of development costs for France’s first regional
hydrogen-powered train. I am delighted that this support has
enabled the four partner regions to confirm their order for the
first 14 trains,” said Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Minister
Delegate for Transport, French Ministry of the Ecological
Transition.
“Environmental protection is a major issue
and without doubt the greatest challenge of the 21st century. This
order for the first Coradia trains in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is the
next step in our region’s ambition to boost green growth focusing
on innovation, business development and job creation. Since our
commitment to the European project Zero Emission Valley, we have
aimed to make our region – home to almost all players in the
hydrogen sector – one of the lowest carbon regions in Europe, by
developing applications for this new source of energy. Hydrogen
trains are an innovative alternative to the diesel trains running
on our non-electrified lines,” said Laurent Wauquiez,
President of the regional council of
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
“As a source of energy
and a storage solution, hydrogen, and particularly green hydrogen,
is a way not only to tackle the effects of global warming, but also
to boost employment, attractiveness and growth in our region. As a
pioneer in this strategic technology, the region has brought
together the talents and skills of both Bourgogne and Franche-Comté
in its shift towards hydrogen. The order for three Coradia
Polyvalent H2s worth a total of 52 million euros marks another step
in our rollout of hydrogen for low-carbon mobility solutions. The
trains will run between Auxerre and Laroche-Migennes, and will be
part of the first regional ecosystem in France to include the
train, based in Auxerre,” said Marie-Guite Dufay, President
of the regional council of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.
“This landmark order
confirms our commitment to maintaining employment and activity at
the Reichshoffen site, where all the trains – three plus two
optional for the Grand Est region and nine others ordered by our
counterparts – will be assembled. This is the first step in the
long-term strategy of TER Grand Est and our involvement in this
unprecedented programme aims to stimulate a nationwide launch of
the light hydrogen train in France. Indeed, the trials carried out
will be fundamental in developing a French hydrogen rail sector
and, in a second phase, producing the light hydrogen train that the
Grand Est region badly needs to roll out its policy to save and
develop its small railways,” said the President of the
regional council of Grand Est.
“This is a key moment in our drive for
hydrogen in Occitanie. This first order gives the go-ahead for a
new era of technological progress at the service of green mobility
with the liO regional public transport service. The Occitanie
Region is the only one committed to the 4 greening solutions for
its regional trains (Régiolis Hybrid, battery train, bioGNV,
hydrogen) and will welcome the 3 hydrogen Régiolis trains on the
Montréjeau - Luchon line which we are going to reopen by 2025. It
is also good news for our region’s employment and growth,
particularly with the Alstom plant in Tarbes involved in
manufacturing these innovative trains. Low-carbon
reindustrialisation of our regions and green mobility solutions are
no longer a utopian dream, they are already at work in our regions.
I would like to salute the collective engagement of the four
regions that have demonstrated their capacity to initiate and
support this project, which promotes the emergence of a promising
sector for the future here in France,” said Carole Delga,
President of the regional council of Occitanie / Pyrénées –
Méditerranée.
“Alstom is particularly proud to be
contributing, alongside SNCF Voyageurs and the
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Grand Est and
Occitanie regions, to a cleaner and more sustainable mobility
solution. Alstom is the first rail company in the world to launch a
hydrogen train onto the market and to master this technology
through its iLint train, developed for the German market. This new
order for the French market is fully in line with Alstom Group’s
ambition to become number one in the green and smart mobility
market and to help roll out an efficient hydrogen ecosystem in our
regions,” said Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, President of Alstom
France.
“This order marks a historic and concrete
step towards clean mobility, by rolling out a new rail solution
with zero direct emissions. Hydrogen has become a concrete solution
to help regions achieve their energy transition. We are proud of
our commitment to this way forward and of the addition of this
technology to the range of solutions developed for our regions
through our PLANETER programme. This order is the result of several
years of work alongside our organising authorities and the
manufacturer, achieved through the commitment and expertise of our
teams in the Rolling Stock and TER departments, to develop a
hydrogen train to meet our regions’ needs,” said Christophe
Fanichet, CEO, SNCF Voyageurs.
1 This contract was booked in the 4th quarter of Alstom’s
2020/21 fiscal year
About the Grand Est
regionTransport, mobility and intermodality form one of
the Grand Est region’s key skill sectors, with a budget of almost
900 million euros in 2020 (nearly a third of the regional
budget). The region’s aim is to make its residents’ day-to-day life
easier and to help build mobility solutions for tomorrow. To
achieve this, it is committed to supporting travel, building links
between metropolitan areas and medium-sized towns, and opening the
region in all directions. Today, the energy transition,
particularly in the transport sector, is a key priority for the
region, which has adopted an ambitious approach to ensure an
effective, energy-efficient and low-carbon service for its regional
passenger rail transport network. In this respect, replacing
trains’ diesel engines with fuel cells is one of the solutions that
will be tested in this Régiolis H2 project and for which the region
has purchased five dual mode electric-hydrogen trains (of which two
are optional), with a view to significantly improving the
environmental impact of tomorrow’s rolling stock.
About the Occitanie region
Occitanie has an ambitious green hydrogen plan, combining
ecology and economic growth.
In 2016, the Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée region set a
clear goal: to become the leading positive energy region in Europe.
To achieve this, it is implementing a €150 million regional plan to
develop green hydrogen based around four strategic areas:
- Supporting hydrogen production, storage, and distribution
projects (Port-La-Nouvelle, Genvia);
- Developing hydrogen applications (buses, trains, green
aircraft);
- Supporting regional hydrogen ecosystems (HyPort);
- Making Occitanie one of Europe’s leading regions.
Occitanie is also the only region to be involved in the three
trials – hybrid, battery, and hydrogen – currently underway to
replace diesel trains.
About SNCF Voyageurs
SNCF Voyageurs is the SNCF Group company handling passenger rail
transport. It provides shared and door-to-door mobility solutions
to meet passenger needs regarding service, cost, quality, and
environmental impact. It offers both commuter mobility and
long-distance travel in France and Europe through: Transilien in
Ile-de-France; TER for regional trains; and Voyages (TGV INOUI,
OUIGO, Intercités, Eurostar, Thalys, TGV Lyria, etc.). Its online
travel agency OUI.sncf is currently France’s leading e-commerce
site. SNCF Voyageurs carries approximately five million passengers
a day. Created on 1 January 2020, SNCF Voyageurs is a public
limited company and wholly-owned subsidiary of SNCF Group.
About Alstom
Leading societies to a low carbon future, Alstom develops and
markets mobility solutions that provide the sustainable foundations
for the future of transportation. Alstom’s products portfolio
ranges from high-speed trains, metros, monorail, trams, and e-buses
to integrated systems, customised services, infrastructure,
signalling and digital mobility solutions. With Bombardier
Transportation joining Alstom on January 29, 2021, the new Group’s
combined revenue amounted to €15.7 billion for the 12-month period
ended March 31, 20202. Headquartered in France, Alstom is now
present in 70 countries and employs 75,000 people.
www.alstom.com
For more information:
Alstom
Coralie COLLET – 07 63 63 09 62–
coralie.collet@alstomgroup.com
Philippe MOLITOR – 07 76 00 97 79 –
philippe.molitor@hotmail.com
SNCF Voyageurs
SNCF Voyageurs Media
Relations
Aymeric CHASSAING – 06 01 92 26 08–
aymeric.chassaing@sncf.fr
TER media relations
Antoine BARON – 06 23 04 74 44 – antoine.baron@sncf.fr
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region:
Marie SOUVERBIE – 03 80 44 34 66 –
marie.souverbie@bourgognefranchecomte.fr
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region:
Service presse de la Région – 04 26 73 40 15
Grand Est region:
Service presse de la Région – presse@grandest.fr
Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée region:
Frédéric Neuman – 05 61 33 53 39 –
service.presse@laregion.fr
Audrey Porteron – 04 67 22 63 62 –
service.presse@laregion.fr
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