Air Liquide Supplies Hydrogen for Stadler’s World-Record Setting Hydrogen Train Run

In concert with Stadler and ENSCO, Air Liquide is helping to prove hydrogen’s power to decarbonize hard-to-abate transportation sectors like rail transport, and doing it in record-setting fashion. Stadler’s FLIRT H2, a hydrogen-powered train built for SBCTA which first debuted in 2022, has been entered into the Guinness World Records database for the longest distance of 1,741.7 miles (2,803 kilometers) achieved by a pilot hydrogen fuel cell electric multiple unit passenger train without refueling or recharging.

To set the record, Stadler and ENSCO needed a hydrogen supplier capable of delivering hydrogen fuel to the world-record track site in Pueblo, Colorado, and Air Liquide was proud to step in. When we inaugurated our world’s largest liquid hydrogen production facility in North Las Vegas, Nevada, we did so with the West Coast transportation market in mind. After all, the broader adoption of hydrogen mobility requires a reliable supply of hydrogen fuel. The North Las Vegas site produces 30 tonnes per day of hydrogen and from renewable and low-carbon to traditional hydrogen, the facility has the flexibility to provide a range of production options for customers. 

For the FLIRT H2’s record-setting trip, Air Liquide supplied the hydrogen fuel and the accompanying fueling infrastructure which, combined with Stadler’s innovative propulsion solution, ensured that the train was able to go the distance without needing to refuel. The Stadler FLIRT H2 power pack contains the fuel cells and hydrogen tanks. The fuel cells convert hydrogen into electricity. This electricity is sent to a traction converter. The battery then supplies the drive of the vehicle with the power required at any given time. This configuration also allows for recuperation of brake energy back to the battery. Therefore, the battery stores both braking power and power from the hydrogen cells. 

As the clean energy transition continues to progress, Air Liquide is proud to work alongside collaborators like Stadler and ENSCO on innovative demonstrations that advance hydrogen as a solution for heavy duty transport including, but certainly not limited to, world-record setting rail journeys!