Polish railway freight transport operator, PKP Cargo, and Polish mining company JSW (Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa) signed a letter of intent for joint, innovative investments in using hydrogen fuel cells. Thus, production will require research, evaluation and manufacturing of different types of hydrogen-fuelled shunting locomotives, as well as their operation and maintenance. JSW and PKP Cargo have identified the opportunity of joint partnerships with the key objective of developing innovative solutions to reduce the consumption of energy, fossil fuels, as well as polluting emissions caused by them. The two parties are also open to a potential cooperation with other partners and will, therefore, analyse investment opportunities in the area of the former KWK Krupiński mine, the Polish local press informs.
“JSW considers the hydrogen fuel cells a transport supporting element for the future. According to JSW strategy for 2018-2030, we will do our best to develop such technologies. We are studying the possibility of using hydrogen extraction from the gas resulted from the coking process. We are making efforts to transform the coke plant gas to produce pure hydrogen which, in turn, could become a zero-emission fuel for PKP Cargo’s modern rolling stock”, declared Daniel Ozon, President of JW mining company, one of the biggest coke producers in Europe.
“Using hydrogen to supply our locomotives will increase the competitiveness of this transport segment. PKP Cargo is the biggest railway freight transport operator in Poland and one of the biggest in Europe. We want to be not just leaders of the transport market, but also pioneers of innovation in the railway freight transport market”, believes Czesław Warsewicz, President of PKP Cargo. He hopes the project will be feasible in a few years so that it could be financed by the National Research and Development Centre, but also by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.
Photo: http://karow900.startbilder.de
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