The e-Journal on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
Fuel cells on rails are not only talked about in the north. Numerous municipalities and regions have meanwhile turned their attention to this promising form of propulsion. The most advanced up to now is Hesse, where Germany’s first serious thought had been given to FC trains and 27 H2 drive units have now been ordered following a successful tender.
Among all German states, Brandenburg has had the most trouble striking the right balance between its fossil and renewable sources of energy. Many jobs in the south of state depend on lignite mining, while large wind farms have been put up in the north and around Berlin. The state government, a coalition of The Left and the SPD, has been trying for years to find an equitable solution to its very own energy dilemma.
The area of USV systems – along with the mobility sector and the supply of domestic energy – offers a wide range of possible applications to fuel cells. Since 2010, the Clean Power Net (CPN) sector network has been focusing on companies which work in the areas of the uninterrupted and off-grid supply of electricity, or Smart Grids. One of the most important projects in this field is the large-scale order to the value of 6.6 m. Euros for equipping more than 100 radio masts in Brandenburg, Germany, with fuel cell systems for the purpose of emergency power supply.