Project Summary
The H2H project will demonstrate how the decarbonisation of rail using hydrogen
can save costs, carbon and time for electricity and rail consumers.
Specific SIF Innovation Challenge
The project addresses all of the Zero Emission Transport Challenge aims by
"developing the technologies, infrastructure and processes required to accelerate
zero-emission transport options", plus the project "maximises the connection of
renewable energy and storage" using green hydrogen.
Network Innovation Involved
Conventional rail electrification would lead to 8.7TWh of demand controlled by the
railway timetable. Hydrogen-electric trains offer a cost-effective solution to the two
sectors; by introducing flexible green hydrogen production, we can reduce
constrained renewable generation and offer flexibility benefits to TSOs and DSOs,
whilst decarbonising the railway.
From Discovery to Alpha
Our Discovery phase project assessed capital and operating costs, and emissions
for 2 rail lines, comparing 4 options. This identified hydrogen-electric trains as the
option with the lowest long-term costs for longer rural rail lines and the greatest
decoupling of rail and electricity demand - offering the highest potential for
flexibility benefits for both sectors.
Alpha Project
Theme 1: Flexibility
- Develop concepts for the flexible green hydrogen production, distribution,
storage and use
- Assess half hour demand for green hydrogen production for the selected line
- Quantify the benefits of flexible green hydrogen production for electricity and rail
consumers
- Define the scope of the demonstration needed to prove the benefits to
stakeholders in both sectors
Theme 2: Preparation for Demonstration
- Confirm the locations, availability of sites for a demonstration project
- Address the safety, procurement and commercial issues
- Assess the costs and timescales for each element of the demonstration
- Agree partners for delivery
How the solution addresses the challenge
H2H offers a route to decarbonise the growing rail electricity demand -- with the
highest flexibility and cost benefits for both sectors.
This project will help:
- Electricity and rail customers gain quality, service and cost benefits.
- Electricity asset owners gain toolsets for providing cost connection offers to
Network Rail that meets both sectors' requirements.
- Network Rail to develop tailored and different electrification programmes to
switch from diesel to electricity on the 60% of the rail network that is not
presently electrified.
- Provide more load within the distribution and transmission networks that allows
for Network Operators to connect more renewable generation, meeting the UK
Government's 2022 British Energy Security Strategy to accelerate homegrown
power for greater energy independence.
SP Transmission will be the lead organisation with five key partners:
- Network Rail (infrastructure provider) brings information about the rail network
and electrification costs for traditional transmission connections
- Ricardo Energy and Environment (3rd party innovator) bring expertise in
decarbonising electricity supplies and connecting traction networks to
distribution networks through novel power electronic devices.
- Ricardo Rail (3rd party innovator) brings expertise engineering/procurement
and certification/approvals for the rail industry.
- Leeds University (academic user) brings rail and power electronics expertise
from their Institute for High-Speed Rail and System Integration
- ScottishPower who have a new Hydrogen division set up to drive this topic
Users:
- Electricity: Conventional electrification adds to the costs paid by electricity
consumers. H2H offers lower connection costs and the highest level of flexibility
in energy supply for rail decarbonisation
- Rail: Hydrogen trains are quicker, quieter and reduce pollution and can be
introduced at much lower costs than other options
Innovation Justification
The problem that is to be solved
The rail industry aims to remove all diesel passenger trains by 2040 (2035 in
Scotland).
Current solutions result in 8.7TWh of inflexible rail electricity demand (3% of
present UK demand):
- 4.5TWh of existing high voltage demand with AM and PM commuter peaks;
- 3TWh of new rail demand by 2040;
- HS2 adding over 1.2 TWh.
Meanwhile, in 2020, £243million of onshore wind constraint payments cut
generation by 3.5 TWh. H2H focuses on two solutions that break the inflexible link
between the rail timetable and electricity demand.
Why your project is innovative, novel or risky
H2H will provide the evidence to enable the electricity and rail sectors to
implement Green Hydrogen as a decarbonisation solution with the benefit of
flexibility; trains refuelled at night will offer high flexibility for rural rail lines.
Our Alpha and Beta projects aim to demonstrate both solutions on a live rail
system, including passenger train operation with:
- Innovation: Combining new and innovative system elements to deliver complete
rail decarbonisaton solutions and proving flexibility benefits for electricity
customers
- Novelty: New technology, new electricity and rail systems and operating
procedures
- Risk reduction: Electricity & rail planning, operation & procurement
Reason your project is important to the energy sector
Government supports an agile approach for sustainable, affordable and reliable
solutions for decarbonisaton. H2H offers significant flexibility in existing and future
rail energy supply, over 8TWh by 2040.
H2H aligns to Future System Operator aims:
- A whole energy system approach when operating, planning and developing the
network
- Delivery of transport decarbonisation and the "accelerated production,
transportation and use of hydrogen"
For electricity customers, flexible rail demand provides an early and long term
route to reduce constraint payments that have been up to £8.5/household.
How your solution addresses the problem
Hydrogen allow flexibility in electricity demand. Our Alpha project will undertake
feasibility and practical assessments -- quantifying the benefits and costs for both
sectors.
H2H focuses on Scotland where wind constraints are most common and rail
decarbonisation takes place by 2035 -- ideal for early demonstration.
Knowledge missing from a previous or related project, how will your project
overcome these gaps
The electricity sector has offered conventional connections in response to rail
industry requests.
The rail sector has assessed the decarbonisation options but not how novel
flexible solutions could benefit the electricity sector.
Though collaboration H2H will develop two solutions that benefit both sectors and
both groups of customers.
The impacts of not doing your project
Rail & electricity sectors take a long term view on investment. Without H2H,
decisions in the next 5 years will increase the inflexible link between electricity
demand and rail timetables for 30 years (rolling stock life).
The value of delivering your solution
This project supports the delivery of zero-emissions rail: making the removal of
diesel trains quicker and cheaper for the electricity, hydrogen and rail sectors. It
meets aims 2-5 of the SIF Discovery phase for Zero Emission Transport and
reduces energy bills and carbon emissions.
It addresses the rail industry, and their passengers needs by taking a collaborative
approach (with all key stakeholders) to address the SIF Zero Emission Transport
Innovation Challenge
Why your project can not be funded elsewhere within the price control or
considered as part of BAU activities.
There is no allowance for these activities within our current business plans,
therefore the project cannot be considered as part of BAU activities. This is the
first innovation collaboration between rail & electricity -- an opportunity like the
Alpha Phase is unlikely to present itself again.
Benefits
At Discovery, the project assessed both solutions for two rail lines. The following
provides quantified and qualitative details of the benefits:
End consumers
- Electricity: Reducing wind constraint payments (up to £8.5/household)
- Electricity: Fewer higher voltage assets & reinforcements for rail electrification
- Rail: Quicker, quieter trains & less pollution
Economic benefits for users, supply chain, industry, and the UK economy
- Users: See above
- Supply chain: Creation & demonstration of solutions for UK and international
markets
- Broader industry: Rail as a competitive low carbon transport mode
- UK economy: Lower reliance on imported fossil fuel for rail
Impact on government priorities and any associated benefits
- Electricity: Path to flexible electricity system that also decarbonises transport
with lower fixed assets
- Rail: Decarbonisation by 2040 and lower passenger fares
Positive Environmental impacts
- Fuel CO2: Reduction by 100% through Green Hydrogen
- Embodied CO2: Reduction of 196 tonnes of CO2 for each km of rail
electrification avoided
- Air Quality: Diesel trains impact air quality through NOx and PM10 emissions
Regional & wider energy supply resilience benefits
- Regional: New full electrification will be in rural areas.
The H2H green Hydrogen solution offers:
- Local flexibility of significant new demand
- Reduction in higher voltage assets and reinforcement in rural areas
- Less single-phase load and impact on Negative Phase Sequence limits
Wider Energy Supply: Standard rail electrification will lead to over 8TWh of
inflexible rail demand.
The solutions covered in H2H offer:
- Existing Rail (4.5TWh): Potential to add additional connections with trackside
battery storage on existing lines
- Diesel Lines: Hydrogen and trackside battery options
Impacts on consumers of the whole energy system
- With fuel poverty expected to reach 40%, the need to reduce electricity costs is
more urgent and a greater necessity.
- Conventional rail electrification bakes in over 8TWh of inflexible demand --
whereas H2H offers a flexible solution that can help reduce constraint payments
for all customers.
- These benefits will be most valued by households in fuel poverty.
What benefits and impacts have you been able to quantify from the
identifying part of Discovery?
In addition to the quantified examples above we undertook a Net Present Value
(NPV) assessment (30 year basis 3.5% discount rate) for the two lines assessed
in Discovery.
Business Case
In the Discovery Phase the 280km line from Inverness to Thurso then Wick proved
suitable for Green Hydrogen:
- Hydrogen-Electric rail traction is the lowest cost option (£119 million) --
compared to Full Electrification (£1,389 million) and Discrete Electrification with
battery train (£360 million)
- Hydrogen fully decouples the timing of rail demand from the electricity system
as trains refuel overnight at Inverness. This maximises the potential for flexibility
benefits for electricity & rails sectors & their customers e.g. reducing the
£8.50/household paid for wind constraints
- Hydrogen-Electric will reduce fuel carbon emissions by 50%, falling to 100% as
Green Hydrogen will be produced.
- Hydrogen-Electric has the lowest embodied carbon emissions as there is no
overhead line installed on the railway.
This line run through areas with significant windfarm capacity and all sub-stations
are constrained for new generation.
Further details of the business case, assumptions etc are in the appendix.
In the Alpha phase we will use more detailed electricity and rail modelling to add
the value of flexibility to the NPV case plus a more accurate assessment of the
costs of these flexible solutions. Using this, and further work with stakeholders, we
will develop the scope and plan for a Beta demonstration.
