Speeding Toward Carbon-Free Railways

In February 2020, a test vehicle was unveiled, with the aim of making a carbon neutral railway.

This vehicle runs on a combination of hydrogen-fuel cells and batteries.

The fuel cells work by combining hydrogen and oxygen from the air.

The chemical reaction, which emits zero carbon waste, creates electricity.

In recent years, the move toward carbon-neutrality has been gaining momentum in Japan as a countermeasure against global warming.

Railway companies are working to reduce CO2 emissions by developing energy-efficient trains and using renewable energy sources.

In today's program, we look at how the railway industry is accelerating toward greener, carbon-free railways.

On May 20th, a new express train was revealed at JR Central's Nagoya Rolling Stock Depot.

The white car body and orange line, JR Central's company color, give a sense of speed.

While JR Central's main concern is the running of the Tokaido Shinkansen, the company also operates a total of 460 km of non-electrified lines.

On non-electrified sections, such as the Takayama Main Line and Kisei Main Line, the limited express Kiha 85 diesel train is still in operation.

However, a train has been developed to replace the diesel trains which emit large amounts of CO2, the series HC85.

The series HC85 uses a hybrid system that combines electricity generated by a diesel engine and electricity stored in batteries.

Conventional diesel trains have two diesel engines per car.

The output from these engines drives the propulsion shaft and transmission.

On the series HC85, the engine functions as a generator to produce electricity.

In addition, when the brakes are applied, the train converts friction from the motor into energy which also charges the battery.

So, two types of power are actually used to run the Series HC85.

This improves fuel consumption by about 35%, and CO2 emissions are reduced by around 30% compared to conventional diesel engines.

JR Central has also begun testing a new type of fuel to further reduce the Series HC85's CO2 emissions.

Conventional diesel engines run on diesel, a fossil fuel which emits a large amount of CO2 during combustion.

In light of this, JR Central has turned its attention to biofuel.

In essence, biofuel is no different from existing fossil fuels in that it emits CO2.

However, the plants used to make biofuel consume CO2 through photosynthesis as they grow.

This offsets the CO2 emitted by biofuels during combustion, effectively making carbon emissions net zero.

For the test, JR Central used biodiesel made from a mixture of oil extracted from Euglena, a type of algae, and used cooking oil.

In fact, there are now buses and aircraft that use biofuel.

In this experiment, JR Central mixed 20% biodiesel with regular diesel.

JR Central plans to experiment with increasing the biodiesel allocation in the future.

Cost is one issue. We would also
have to establish a stable supply.

It will be difficult to change systems
without resolving these issues first.

We will continue researching ways
to reduce carbon emissions.

With further development, JR Central hopes that biodiesel will replace regular diesel, reducing the CO2 emissions of diesel cars to zero.

Carbon-free efforts are also being made on electrified lines.

Tokyu Railways, which operates many commuter lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area, is working hard to reduce power consumption.

From 2018, Tokyu Railways began introducing new, energy-efficient, and energy-saving vehicles.

The Series 2020 uses approximately 50% less power than the older ones.

Tokyu Railways is gradually replacing its trains with these new energy-saving vehicles.

Also, since April, Tokyu Railway's eight lines covering about 105 km have been run using electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

This is a first for Japan.

Renewable energy refers to solar power, wind power, hydroelectric or water power, and geothermal energy.

Large railway companies rely
on electricity to operate.

We've decided to purchase electricity from a company
that gets its energy from renewable sources.

While energy from non-fossil fuels is currently more expensive, the energy saved running the Series 2020 and other efforts offsets the additional expense.

Tokyu Railways hopes these measures will reduce CO2 emissions from 165,000 tons per year to net zero.

They say that riding the train
is environmentally friendly.

Well, we have effectively reduced
our carbon emissions to net zero.

So, people can ride our trains knowing they are
having a positive impact on the environment.

There is another railway company that is working on creating renewable energy.

Tobu Railway which operates a vast network north of Tokyo, and its subsidiary company, have constructed large-scale solar plants on eight sites along its lines.

The total annual power generated from the eight plants is approximately 10 million kWh.

Compared to electricity derived from fossil fuels, it's calculated that about 5000 tons of CO2 can be reduced annually.

However, this solar power cannot be used for daily train operations because the supply is unstable depending on the weather.

So Tobu Railway sells the solar power it produces to electric power companies, and receives an equivalent and stable power supply in exchange.

The annual power consumption of our trains running in and
around the Nikko-Kinugawa area is about 32 million kWh.

Our eight solar-power plants generate
around 10 million kWh.

That means we produce about one-third of
the renewable energy our company uses.

In the Nikko area, Tobu Railway purchases the remaining two-thirds of the electricity it uses from companies that produce renewable energy.

We are doing what we can to
reduce our CO2 emissions.

We hope more people come and
experience carbon-free travel.

Today's episode is very technical.

I'm so glad I have you with me Ryo because this is your area of expertise.

Now please tell me, on average, how green are Japanese trains?

Well, I think it's safe for me to say that the Japanese railway industry is among the leaders of the world in this direction.

Probably it is the leader.

The leader...?

And yes that's because the Japanese railway industry has been trying really hard to reduce energy consumption in the last 40 to 50 years.

See, what surprises me about your statement is being a passenger on the trains on Tokyo, I see the big LED screens inside the trains to watch commercials,

the lights, the strong air conditioning and then the masses of people, and you still say they consume less?

Yes, that's right.

And that's because the energy consumed for the operation of the train is actually consumed for the running of the train themselves and for that reason,

the efforts that has been poured in by the railway companies are actually poured into reduce the energy for running the trains, and that effort is still continuing and the railway companies in Japan are now looking into the possibility of making the operation carbon-free.

Right, since you mentioned carbon-free, JR East is currently developing a train that is set to run carbon-free.

Let's have a look.

JR East has set a long-term goal they are calling their "Zero Carbon Challenge 2050."

JR East's CO2 emissions in 2013 were around 2.15 million tons.

They plan to reduce emissions by 50% to 1.08 million tons by 2030.

The ultimate goal is to reduce CO2 emissions to zero by 2050.

JR East has around 440 diesel cars.

The CO2 emitted by these vehicles has long been a problem.

A vehicle that debuted in 2014 was developed to solve this problem.

This is ACCUM.

ACCUM is a battery-powered train equipped with large-capacity lithium-ion batteries necessary for operation.

On electrified sections, the train runs on power from overhead lines, while on non-electrified sections, the pantographs are lowered, and the train runs on batteries alone.

While this vehicle emits zero CO2, unlike regular diesel cars, it's only able to operate over short distances.

However, further research by JR East has resulted in the development of hybrid trains powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

The two-car test vehicle is called "HYBARI."

The livery is blue, reflecting the water produced by the fuel cells.

HYBARI stands for Hydrogen-Hybrid Advanced Rail vehicle for Innovation.

In Japanese, "HYBARI" also means skylark.

Let's take a further look at the fuel cells HYBARI uses.

There are fuel cells under
the train floor.

The fuel cells use hydrogen
to generate electricity.

These are the fuel cells that generate electricity.

When an electric current is passed through water H2O, it separates into hydrogen and oxygen.

In a fuel cell, the reverse happens.

The chemical reaction generates electricity and makes water.

Here is the roof.

The train runs on electricity but there
is no pantograph, as you can see.

That's because the train generates
it's own electricity.

The four boxes on the top contain
the hydrogen tanks.

There are 20 tanks in total, holding
around 40 kg of hydrogen.

Hydrogen is pumped from the storage tanks on the roof down into the fuel cells, where it is combined with oxygen from the air, generating electricity in the process.

These fuel cells can generate 240 kWh of power.

The fuel cells are now generating electricity
by combining hydrogen and oxygen.

The water produced by the chemical reaction
is discharged beneath the train floor.

Fuel cells only emit pure water, so the energy produced is very clean.

The batteries are located beneath
the floor of this car, here.

The electricity produced by the fuel
cells is stored in these batteries.

The batteries also store electricity
from regenerative braking.

HYBARI's hybrid drive system uses electricity from both fuel cells and storage batteries to power its motors.

The electricity is also used to run the lighting and air conditioning inside the vehicle.

This system would not have been possible without help from other companies.

The fuel cells were actually supplied by an automobile manufacturer that makes fuel-cell cars.

Another manufacturer was responsible for developing the batteries and drive system.

HYBARI is being tested on two routes in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Currently, regulations allow motor vehicles with high-pressure hydrogen tanks, however, train operations are still restricted.

JR East obtained special permission to conduct its tests.

There are still many challenges.

We need to extend the train's range, but there are
regulations regarding the handling of hydrogen gas.

We have special permission to conduct tests, however,
we'd like the government to ease regulations.

We are aiming for zero carbon emissions by 2050,
but there is only so much we can do on our on.

We believe it's crucial to collaborate
with manufactures as well.

To promote the development of hydrogen hybrid trains, JR East has also started an initiative to supply electricity generated by hydrogen.

The first station to begin testing is Musashi-Mizonokuchi Station.

Hydrogen stored in storage tanks is used to generate electricity from fuel cells to power the station building.

In collaboration with a major oil company, JR East has also announced plans to develop a station facility that will serve as a hydrogen station.

The planned station will provide hydrogen not only to hydrogen hybrid trains, but also to vehicles such as fuel-cell buses, trucks, and taxis, as well as to surrounding facilities.

JR East's HYBARI hydrogen-hybrid train is scheduled to start service in 2030.

JR East's hydrogen hybrid train.

Does this vehicle make carbon-free transport possible?

It certainly is a possibility but I can say that it is not without problems or challenges so I think we should wait and see, but one good thing about this technology is that a car manufacturer is involved in the development,

and that means we can expect future cost reduction for key components of the system.

It's great to see that big railway companies are investing into greener technologies but I see a problem for the rural railways which are already struggling with declining ridership,

and then having a pandemic on top of that, I think they'll struggle implementing these new technologies.

Yes, certainly. And what I want to point out here for those railway companies is that there is the particular relationship between ridership and energy consumption

because when the ridership goes up, the per passenger energy consumption will go down, and I think this is one of the reasons why the Japanese railways industry as a whole is enjoying the low energy consumption

because of the railway companies in Japan are carrying a great number of passengers and from this point of view, I think the railway companies you have pointed out should now concentrate on increasing the ridership,

and if that is realized then the per passenger energy consumption will go down and that yields some sort of greenness in their train operation.

Well you guys heard it, wanna go green? Ride the train.

Railway Topics.

On April 23rd, efforts began in Shisou City in Hyogo Prefecture to reopen a forest railway that once ran through the area.

Haga Forest Railway was once used to transport timber from the national forests.

It operated seven lines over a total length of more than 40 km.

Opening in 1916, it remained active until 1968 when it was discontinued after timber transportation switched to trucks.

The idea to revive the railway came from local volunteers.

They aim to revitalize the town by creating a railway that allows visitors to enjoy the natural scenery.

On this day, around 100 local volunteers, including children, gather to lay the rails.

This step toward reviving the railway is the beginning of a grand project.

Their goal is to lay a total of 550m of track.

Today, however, they only laid about 5.

I'm very happy.

There are a lot of things I want to
do once the rails are connected.

The forest railway is scheduled to open in 2024, operating a sightseeing trolley train.

On April 27, Kurobe Gorge Railway, which runs through Toyama Prefecture and had been closed for the winter, began running on a section cleared of snow.

At the first stop - Unazuki Station, a ceremony is held before the 13-car trolley train slowly departs.

Today, the train is operating on just 7kms of the 20km line.

Passengers enjoy beautiful views of cascading waterfalls and the fresh green of spring leaves.

The contrast between the green leaves
and the last of the snow is stunning.

I want to come again when the whole line
is open to see all the beautiful scenery.

The snow has since been cleared.

The entire line opened on May 26.

On May 10, JR Kyushu held a test run of its Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen, which is scheduled to begin service this September.

The condition of the line and other aspects of the track are being inspected in preparation for the opening.

Today, the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen "Kamome" departs from the train depot in Nagasaki Prefecture, running at a maximum speed of 45 km/h.

Locals hold a ceremony at each station platform to welcome the new shinkansen.

The shinkansen was really big and long!

I'm so happy!

Trials will continue until June 16.

During this period, the shinkansen will be tested to run at a maximum speed of 260 km/h.