PARIS, FRANCE: Alstom and Plastic Omnium have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development of high-end hydrogen storage systems for the railway sector.

Alstom and Plastic Omnium will cooperate and combine their complementary know-how and capabilities in their respective domains. A dedicated team has been set up to manage the technical and commercial development of innovative and competitive 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, allowing direct journeys on non-electrified lines without using fossil fuels, while meeting the challenges of sustainable development.

Rail, alongside trucks, bus and commercial fleet sectors, is one of the first industries to develop zero-emission hydrogen mobility, opening up new growth prospects in a promising market.

Christian Kopp CEO of Plastic Omnium Clean Energy Systems division: “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 and further confirmation of our Group’s expertise in hydrogen solutions and its potential for growth as it reaches out to a new customer base.”

“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. The planned combination of Plastic Omnium’s expertise in hydrogen storage solutions and our expertise in hydrogen trains is in this regard an important milestone to build an innovative and strong hydro rail value chain.”, said Thierry Best, Chief Commercial Officer at Alstom.

Plastic Omnium provides innovative solutions for a more connected and sustainable mobility. The Group develops and produces intelligent exterior systems, clean energy systems and customized complex modules. www.plasticomnium.com

Alstom develops and markets mobility solutions that provide the sustainable foundations for the future of transportation. www.alstom.com