As part of a first-of-its-kind rail application, a BeHydro dual fuel hydrogen combustion engine has been successfully installed to power a heavy-duty freight locomotive.
The installed engine, developed by BeHydro, develops 2,250 HP and is designed to operate on both (bio)diesel and green hydrogen. The dual fuel hydrogen engine is based on a proven combustion platform already deployed across marine, rail and power generation applications. It has now been successfully integrated into an existing locomotive chassis at Traxtion’s facilities in South Africa.
With this installation, BeHydro demonstrates the applicability of its dual fuel hydrogen combustion engine in rail environments, offering a practical pathway to reducing emissions while maintaining the performance and reliability required for freight operations.
The BeHydro engine is combined with a hydrogen storage based on swappable 20-foot containers, mounted on a dedicated fuel supply wagon. This configuration enables efficient refuelling and operational flexibility, with green hydrogen supplied from an off-grid production facility in Walvis Bay. Later this year, the locomotive will operate on the Walvis Bay–Windhoek corridor in Namibia, marking an important step in the deployment of hydrogen-powered rail traction on an operational freight route.
BeHydro’s technology enables the conversion of existing locomotives to dual fuel hydrogen with limited technical modifications. The solution is designed for robustness and simplicity, building on a rail concept tailored to the demanding operating conditions in Namibia. Its modular and scalable nature also allows fleets to be converted progressively, without disrupting ongoing rail services.
BeHydro - The hydrogen future is now
