Why an old train could point to a clean energy future

The Green Goat is getting a green refitAn old diesel freight train in British Columbia, Canada is about to get a new lease of life.Local firm Hydrogen in Motion (H2M) is currently converting the Green Goat locomotive to run on a mix of hydrogen and battery power.The so-called switcher locomotive performs tasks such as transporting small loads of lumber or animal feed at rail yards.If all goes to plan, H2M will have the engine running by the end of this year, or early next.”With the successful demonstration of this we would be looking at much larger trains as well,” says H2M president and chief executive Grace Quan. “We’d be looking at converting entire fleets.”Hydrogen, which emits water but no carbon dioxide when burned, is often touted as a fuel of the future.There are already a few hydrogen-powered trains out there, such as the ones currently being rolled out in the German state…

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