Lhyfe, European producer of green and renewable hydrogen solutions, has built and will operate a green hydrogen production plant for Deutsche Bahn in Tübingen.

The plant, in the DB Energie (a group subsidiary) innovation hub, has annual production capacity of up to 30 tons and installed electrolysis capacity of 1 MW. Power comes from Deutsche Bahn’s green electricity portfolio.

DB Energie is testing new technologies for sustainable rail energy supply, including the H2goesRail project. Using the green hydrogen produced, a climate-neutral hydrogen train will be put into operation this year on a test route in Baden-Württemberg, between Tübingen, Horb and Pforzheim.

“This project demonstrates the economic viability of hydrogen solutions in the transport and mobility sector. Hydrogen-powered trains are a clean and efficient alternative to conventional diesel-powered trains as they are virtually carbon-free. The H2goesRail project is a pioneer in the field of passenger and freight transportation,” says Luc Graré, Head of Central and Eastern Europe at Lhyfe.

With this project, Lhyfe aims to gain experience in operating a largely autonomous system and directly coupling hydrogen production with a large-scale filling station. Commissioning of the complex system, which involves various dynamics from production to multiple stages of compression, storage and refuelling of hydrogen, presents a significant challenge, Graré says.

The site in Tübingen is Lhyfe’s first plant in Germany. Another 10 MW plant is being built in Schwäbisch Gmünd, which will produce up to four tons of green hydrogen per day.