No tenders for Groningen hydrogen trains tender – Railtech.
The Dutch province of Groningen has not received any bids for the tender for four hydrogen trains that the province intends to purchase.
Deputy Johan Hamster (Christian Union) to the Provincial States of Groningen, said:
The tender we attempted has failed. We have not received any bids.
The province aims to have emission-free trains running through the province by 2035, replacing diesel trains currently in use. The province conducted a successful trial in 2020 with an Alstom Coradia iLint on the Groningen-Leeuwarden route, leading to plans for a broader trial with four hydrogen trains. However, there was no response from the market.
Hamster suspects, according to RTV Noord, that the market was deterred by the high requirements set in the tender for the trains. “The requirements we set, such as for the interior, lead to significant investments in what is essentially a small project. That is a reason that has been indicated, but of course, there are also undisclosed reasons. Why companies do or do not bid is also a commercially sensitive consideration.”
Next steps
The province does not intend to cancel the project but will explore other options to operate hydrogen trains, such as entering into a lease agreement with a provider of ‘second-hand’ hydrogen trains. These trains would not only be used on the Groningen-Leeuwarden route but also Groningen-Veendam and Groningen-Delfzijl.
The province had allocated 60 million euros for the hydrogen train trial, with the national government contributing 15 million euros. It is uncertain whether the province can still count on the national contribution, now that there is no purchase of trains, but rather a potential lease arrangement. Hamster did not have an answer to that, according to RTV Noord.
READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central
No tenders for Groningen hydrogen trains tender – Railtech. source
