00:00This train in Germany is part of Europe's clean energy future.
00:09The aim is to replace all diesel-powered vehicles.
00:13We can run all day and once a day we can refuel all the trains.
00:18The train is powered by green hydrogen,
00:21a renewable fuel that promises to reduce climate-damaging CO2 emissions.
00:27But behind the apparently smooth train ride lies a lot of effort.
00:38But first, back to the tracks.
00:40The Nieder-Bahnemer Railway Service, or NEB,
00:44introduced a green hydrogen fleet for Berlin and the surrounding region in December 2024.
00:51In comparison to regular electrical trains, they are of course more expensive
00:56and you need a lot of infrastructure, you need the infrastructure for refueling
01:00and of course for producing the hydrogen.
01:04It took investment, determination and strong partners to even get this far.
01:10But cost wasn't the only challenge.
01:13NEB boss Sebastian Achtermann and his team also had to deal with complaints from passengers
01:19due to delays and cancellations, but not for the usual reasons.
01:24Unfortunately, even a few days after start of operation, we had a shortage of hydrogen
01:30and therefore we had to replace some hydrogen trains with older diesel trains for a short period.
01:37Switching to the eco-friendlier trains was a bumpy start.
01:41But passengers appear to welcome the new green hydrogen fleet.
01:45Sometimes there are issues with repairs or whatever, then it's not so great.
01:51But otherwise it's pretty good, it's quiet.
01:54But breakthroughs are still needed to make the next generation of trains not just possible but practical.
02:01At one of Germany's leading research institutions, chemist Michelle Brown and her team are working on new catalyst materials
02:10that could accelerate hydrogen production and make it far more affordable.
02:15Indian researcher Karupa Sami Damaraj is testing how well they perform.
02:20Once it shows the activity, then I will put that material or the catalyst onto the device
02:26so that you are seeing on the backside to test really how much the efficiency,
02:33how long the catalyst surveys in the harsh conditions.
02:38If the tests are successful, it would help build materials that last longer and cost less
02:44so that green hydrogen becomes a real alternative to fossil fuels.
02:49Hydrogen is produced by splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
02:55A process known as electrolysis.
02:58If the electricity to do the splitting comes from renewables, then it's green hydrogen.
03:03The device used for splitting is called an electrolyser.
03:07One of the most widely used types is the PEM electrolyser.
03:11It's efficient but depends heavily on iridium, a rare and costly material.
03:16Many industrial players still depend on this technology.
03:19So iridium, for example if you had a hundred megawatt electrolyser,
03:25the amount of iridium that could be used in there would cost about 6 million euro
03:30and this would power about 100,000 homes.
03:33It's a huge cost barrier for hydrogen going mainstream.
03:37Michelle Brown's team are trying to solve the problem.
03:40At the moment there are two different technologies that are commercialised to make green hydrogen
03:47but our research is focused on a less mature technology which will be less costly
03:53so it will be more economically viable.
03:55We are using cheap transition metal oxide materials such as cobalt or nickel oxides.
04:01It could be a game changer.
04:04If these cheaper materials work, they could make green hydrogen not only good for the planet
04:10but also widely affordable.
04:12What starts in the lab eventually needs to scale.
04:15At Siemens Energy in Berlin, electrolysers are already being built at industrial scale
04:20following three years of development.
04:23We are inside our electrolysis manufacturing hall
04:28where we do build right now in one shift one gigawatt per year.
04:33We can even ramp up higher but so far that's sufficient for all the demands that our customers need from us.
04:39One gigawatt can supply about 750,000 homes.
04:44Or be used to power trains and buses.
04:47And there's global momentum.
04:49Siemens is delivering electrolyser systems to countries like Chile and Japan.
04:54It's a chance to reduce CO2 emissions.
04:57Producing one kilo of hydrogen from fossil fuels can emit up to 10 kilos of CO2.
05:04Green hydrogen can cut that to near zero.
05:10And if you look at a stack like that one behind us,
05:13it could substitute roughly the CO2 amount of roughly 400 cars driving in Germany.
05:19So that's quite a bit.
05:20But it's not just about Germany.
05:22International cooperation could really drive things forward.
05:26And that's where India comes in.
05:28Well India is really stepping up in this hydrogen game due to its very cheap energy
05:32and its strong backing from the government.
05:35Now what they need to do is to come from the first small scale project to really big industrial scale project,
05:43to really prove that the hydrogen is a reasonable topic for the industry.
05:50Germany is aiming for net zero emissions by 2045.
05:54India by 2070.
05:56Both countries have a joint green hydrogen roadmap to increase production and reduce the reliance on fossil fuels.
06:04Our roadmap outlines a five-year strategy to enhance the cooperation in the hydrogen space.
06:10Especially it is focusing on the private sector investment in hydrogen trade.
06:18India is positioning itself as a global supplier of low-cost hydrogen.
06:23Meanwhile, trains in Basdorf, Germany, are being refueled.
06:28Trucks deliver hydrogen from across the country, most of it green hydrogen.
06:33The goal is to ensure all of it is green in the future.
06:36Green hydrogen is not the answer to everything, but it could soon become crucial.
06:42The challenge is to build the necessary infrastructure and boost production,
06:47to ensure all Europe's trains can run on clean energy, phasing out fossil fuels.
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