The FCAB hydrogen locomotive has entered service in Chile, becoming part of FCAB’s pilot project on the use of hydrogen fuel in transport, which was previously covered by Railway Supply.

FCAB hydrogen locomotive enters service in Chile
Photo: FCAB

FCAB hydrogen locomotive on the Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia line

This first hydrogen locomotive in Latin America was built by Chinese company CRRC Qishuyan for the metre-gauge Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia (FCAB), with a track gauge of 1000 mm. It completed a trip from Patio Norte station to the port of Antofagasta in Chile. FCAB has thus become the first freight railway company in Latin America to use hydrogen fuel, as reported by International Railway Journal.

FCAB pilot project and locomotive specifications

The pilot project implemented by FCAB is aimed at assessing how far the use of hydrogen fuel in transport can be expanded in order to reduce carbon compound emissions. The four-axle locomotive has a power output of 1000 kW and is equipped with fuel-cell stacks and batteries.

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Its hydrogen fuel supply totals 184 kg and is stored at a pressure of 35 MPa, as also noted by Antofagasta plc. At Patio Norte there is a facility for storing hydrogen produced from renewable sources and for refuelling the locomotive.

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