Through its PO-Rein joint venture, OPmobility has secured a contract with CRRC, the world’s leading rail manufacturer. This is the first contract of its kind for hydrogen-powered trams, which will be deployed in Malaysia.

Under the terms of the agreement, OPmobility will supply 76 Type 4 high-pressure storage systems (each system consists of four 175-litre hydrogen tanks), which will be delivered and commissioned by the end of the year. These systems will be fitted to the latest generation of intelligent trams that provide public transport in the city of Kuching, Malaysia. These trams will be completely autonomous and will not require any specific infrastructure. They will find their way by following a virtual route on the ground. The hydrogen will enable them to travel 245 km with 300 passengers on board, reaching a speed of 70 km/h. And they can be refuelled in 10 minutes.

Laurent Favre, OPmobility’s CEO stated: “On top of this contract, the three-way partnership between OPmobility, the leader in hydrogen storage, CRRC, the Chinese rail giant, and Shenergy, a major energy player in China, is a crucial step towards the creation of a robust and innovative hydrogen rail value chain.”

Since June 2023, OPmobility has been contributing to the growth of the Chinese hydrogen mobility market through its joint venture PO-Rein. To date, the Group has a hydrogen order book worth almost €4 billion. Its hydrogen activities and industrial facilities are spread across China, Europe, the United States and South Korea.

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Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Mariem Ben Tili