Guizhou pioneers hydrogen power for coal transport

China's first commercially operated hydrogen-powered locomotive began trial runs on Saturday in Liupanshui, Guizhou province, marking a significant milestone in the city's long-term drive to modernize its coal industry.

The locomotive can be fully refueled in about 15 minutes, delivering up to 800 kilometers of range and hauling over 4,500 metric tons, which makes it ideal for short-haul coal transport, according to the project management team. All of its hydrogen is sourced on-site, extracted from coke-oven gas at the local plant at about one-third the cost of conventional water-electrolysis production.

"An important advantage of hydrogen engines is their lower infrastructure cost," said Yang Kai, deputy director of the Liuzhi special district's bureau of industry and information technology.

Yang said that, unlike electric trains, hydrogen engines "do not need an extensive power grid or storage facilities — hydrogen tanks on the locomotive are enough. And compared with diesel engines, they are much cleaner", as their only emission is water vapor.

The power unit uses a hybrid fuel cell plus lithium battery powertrain. Hydrogen fuel cells convert the gas directly into electricity to drive the wheels, while lithium batteries capture excess energy and provide an extra boost under heavy loads.

Moreover, with an energy conversion efficiency of up to 80 percent — twice that of diesel engines — the system performs especially well at high altitudes, where thin air hinders combustion engines. "On the high plateau, oxygen is scarce and diesel efficiency drops, but fuel cells need much less oxygen, making them suitable for routes such as the Qinghai-Tibet Railway," said the project leader from Meijin Energy.

Liupanshui's hydrogen initiative builds on its abundant coal and power resources. In 2022, the local government partnered with Meijin Energy to launch a "Coal-Coke-Hydrogen" demonstration project. On Saturday, the project held its second-phase furnace ignition ceremony.

Under this arrangement, coal delivered by rail will be coked on site, while by-product coke-oven gas is purified into high-purity hydrogen, and a local network of hydrogen-filling stations will then refuel locomotives and heavy trucks, creating a clean-energy supply chain.

Using automated, environmentally friendly processes, the plant will produce 3.8 million tons of metallurgical coke and 40 million standard cubic meters of high-purity hydrogen each year. Once fully operational, annual coal and coke freight volumes are expected to reach 7 million tons, with a dedicated rail line handling 4 million tons.

In addition, 100 heavy trucks and four 8.6-meter hydrogen fuel cell buses have entered service. The buses will operate on short-distance urban routes, and Liuzhi special district has already planned three demonstration corridors for the heavy trucks. These 100 trucks alone are projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 3,000 tons per year.

"Hydrogen can effectively supplement our energy mix," Yang said. "Liupanshui is a coal-and-power industrial city with about 27,500 heavy vehicles moving coal, coke and construction materials. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), coal production, which is to hit 100 million tons, will drive huge demand for heavy trucks. Coupled with the nation's dual-carbon strategy, hydrogen applications here have vast market potential."

Luo Siyang contributed to this story.