OPmobility, through its PO-Rein1 joint-venture, has won a contract from the world’s leading rail manufacturer CRRC (China Railway Rolling Stock Corp.) MRT Holding Group, to supply type 42 high- pressure hydrogen storage systems. The new contract means OPmobility is the first automotive supplier to market this technology for mobility applications in China.
OPmobility, Shenergy Group (China’s state-owned energy company) and CRRC MRT Holding Group are also forging a close, long-term partnership to develop hydrogen mobility solutions.
OPmobility will supply 76 type 4 high-pressure storage systems (each system comprises four 175 liter hydrogen vessels), a market benchmark in terms of quality and performance. They will be delivered and put into service from the end of 2024.
The systems will equip the latest generation of smart trams providing public transport in the city of Kuching, in Malaysia. The trams are fully autonomous and require no dedicated infrastructure: they mainly operate by following track markings on the road surface. Hydrogen is an ideal solution for this disruptive technology. Refueled in just 10 minutes, the trams can travel 245 km and reach speeds of 70 km/h. Each tram can carry more than 300 passengers.
In addition to this contract, OPmobility, Shenergy Group and CRRC MRT Holding Group have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on developing high-end hydrogen storage systems for the rail market. As part of this collaboration, the three companies will combine their complementary skills and expertise and apply them to the technical and commercial development of on-board hydrogen storage solutions.
Laurent Favre, Chief Executive Officer of OPmobility, says: “We are proud to sign our first contract with CRRC, the Chinese rail giant. By equipping a highly innovative and sustainable mode of urban transport, OPmobility is confirming its position as a technology partner for all mobility players. On top of this contract, the three-way partnership between OPmobility, the leader in hydrogen storage, CRRC, the Chinese rail giant, and Shenergy, a major energy player in China, is a crucial step towards the creation of a robust and innovative hydrogen rail value chain. The emergence of a hydrogen ecosystem is crucial to meeting the challenges of low-carbon mobility”.
(1) PO-Rein is a 50/50 joint venture between OPmobility and Zhejiang Rein (Shenergy Group subsidiary).
(2)Type 4 hydrogen vessels have a plastic inner liner surrounded by carbon fibre. Type 3 vessels have a metal inner liner.
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Press release https://shorturl.at/ID2Wg
