The Railway Technical Research Institute of Japan has conducted a test running of the world's first railway vehicle powered by a fuel cell.

Tokyo, Japan, October 18, 2006 – We are pleased to announce that the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) has conducted a test run of the world's first railway vehicle powered by a fuel cell. The fuel cell, provided by Nuvera, has a net output power of 120 kW.

RTRI started the development of a fuel cell powered railway vehicle in fiscal 2001, as one of its research and development projects for "environmentally-friendly railways." The main purposes of this project are to reduce noise and gas emissions and to build train systems which do not need power-feeding facilities. RTRI has focused on developing a fuel cell available for railway vehicles which follows changing loads, and building a system that combines fuel cells, a high-pressure hydrogen tank, and an inverter which is a variable frequency power conversion device.

In fiscal 2003, RTRI succeeded in driving tests of a bogie with a 30 kW-class fuel cell power module, and started the development of the 100 kW-class system in fiscal 2004. Now, in 2006, the 100 kW fuel cell power module was mounted onto a vehicle and tests were conducted on the test track at RTRI.

The test vehicle was equipped with the fuel cell power module, a high-pressure hydrogen tank system, an inverter, and powered and driven by the fuel cell system at the test running.

Currently, running tests are being conducted to confirm the output characteristics and load-following capacity of the fuel cell system in order to pursue the possible introduction of fuel cell systems into train operations.

Although problems still remain in cost reduction, increased output capacity and downsizing, the success in these running tests drove the technology a step closer to the introduction of the fuel cell system into railway operations.

Part of the development of the fuel cell has been supported by a subsidy from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Japan.

This announcement was originally released in Japanese and the English translation was confirmed by RTRI.

Contact
Danielle Andre
Marketing Communications Coordinator
Nuvera Fuel Cells
Tel: +1-617-245-7571
Fax: +1-617-245-7511
Email: DAndre@nuvera.com