Hydrogen Fuelcell Formula

[Tommy Cookers]

I don't know if this is in any way relevant to this discussion: hydrogen-powered trains are being deployed in the UK and other European countries. For example:
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/business-54350046

Why would they do such a thing?*
Surely using electricity direct from the grid would be more efficient than converting water to hydrogen by electrolysis (presumably), transporting the hydrogen to fuel up the train, and then converting it to electricity with a fuel cell.
The overall efficiency must be half of what a direct electric train would get.
*It could make sense for a freight train in the middle of nowhere USA, but for a passenger/commuter train in the UK?

why ?
the flex in Hydroflex means a train for routes without (very costly) overhead cables or conductor rails
routes with low use that is - at times of the day when electricity demand from other uses is low

being zero-carbon matters more than energy-efficiency (at times when there's a glut of zero-carbon electricity)
it's real-time use of zero-carbon electricity - so avoiding the need for that electricity to be stored
(also hydrogen may be produced real-time by methods other than electrolysis)

maybe the UK's involvement should not be seen as a valid endorsement
and our lovely CCC has just said the extent of our real plans is 20% of the extent of our outline plans

[ispano6]

I don't know if this is in any way relevant to this discussion: hydrogen-powered trains are being deployed in the UK and other European countries. For example:

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/business-54350046

Why would they do such a thing?*

Surely using electricity direct from the grid would be more efficient than converting water to hydrogen by electrolysis (presumably), transporting the hydrogen to fuel up the train, and then converting it to electricity with a fuel cell.

The overall efficiency must be half of what a direct electric train would get.

*It could make sense for a freight train in the middle of nowhere USA, but for a passenger/commuter train in the UK?

Look into Aramco's blue and green ammonia. My physicist father insists cities and infrastructure will be powered by hydrogen. Japan is one of Aramco's first large scale customers and is developing the technology and transportation of blue ammonia with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It's been proven to be a viable power source along with the reusable CO2 lifecycle instead of releasing it into the atmosphere.

[NL_Fer]

People shouldn’t only look at the inefficiency of hydrogen. Sure batteries will become cheaper, lighter and faster charging and probably the battery electric vehicle will be the better option for a long time.

But you cannot deny, there is allot of potential for solar power and the problem is that allot of power is generated at the wrong time (during spring-summer) while demand for energy is higher in the winter. Also countries around the equator have sun all year around, while demand is around the north hemisphere.

Hydrogen can be used for storage of solar energy for longer periods, like summer-winter and for transport around the globe. Also there are heavy industrial sectors, like cement and steel production can use hydrogen to reduce their carbon emission.

So maybe we won’t see much FCEV’s but hydrogen will be a big player in the future.