Alstom Hydrogen-Powered Trains May be Heading to Morocco

The Kingdom is cited among customers interested in this new generation of environmentally friendly transport.

Morocco will probably be part of countries with hydrails. French news outlet “Le Monde” revealed the information a few days ago by announcing the first orders for hydrogen trains. According to Brahim Soua, Vice-President of the regional rolling stock platform at Alstom, “potential customers have come forward in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, and Morocco.”

It should be noted that the trains in question use carbon-free technology, making it possible to produce electricity on board, using a fuel cell powered by a hydrogen tank (H2).

Another advantage is that they are equipped with “dual-mode” trainsets. However, these have the capacity to connect to the catenaries of electrified railway tracks.

Nonetheless, Morocco is still one of Alstom’s major customers. The French company had supplied the high-speed trains of the National Railways Office (ONCF), making Morocco one of the few countries in the world to offer TGV travel on its rail network. Alstom also supplies the largest cities in the Kingdom such as Rabat and Casablanca with tram trains.

Alstom also has a number of industrial units in Morocco; the unit of Fez is the one responsible for producing cables for railway applications as well as that of the electrical boxes which are supplied to its European factories, then mounted on trains exported to the whole world.

It is still unknown whether the contacts announced on Alstom’s side with the Moroccan customer will reach a final agreement; Hydrogen trains are considered a revolution in the world of transport, but they are costly, at least for now.