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(Saint-Ouen, France), a leader in sustainable railway transportation, and (Levallois-Perret, France), a player in hydrogen mobility, have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the development of high-end hydrogen storage systems for the railway sector.

Alstom and Plastic Omnium will cooperate to develop hydrogen onboard storage solutions for the railway market. This will enable the two partners, following development projects which have already started, to launch hydrogen storage solutions on the market for regional trains in France and Italy, starting in 2022. This will reportedly enable direct journeys on non-electrified lines without using fossil fuels while meeting the challenges of sustainable development.

According to the partners, rail — as well as the truck, bus and commercial fleet sectors — is one of the first industries to develop zero-emission hydrogen mobility, opening up new growth prospects.

Christian Kopp CEO of Plastic Omnium’s Clean Energy Systems division, says, “Our partnership with Alstom aims to develop high-performance hydrogen solutions capable of tackling the sustainability challenges facing railway transportation. It is another step on the path toward carbon-free mobility.”

“The emergence of a strong hydrogen ecosystem is of critical importance for driving the development of hydrogen rail as a zero emissions alternative for regional rail,” says Thierry Best, chief commercial officer at Alstom.