Calgary Alberta - Ballard Power Systems, which has provided the fuel cell engines for CPKC's first hydrogen-powered locomotives, announced it has received an order for another 12 engines totaling 2.4 megawatts of power.
 
The dozen 200 kilowatt engines, to be delivered this year, will support CPKC development of additional hydrogen fuel cell locomotives for switching and local freight service in Alberta, Ballard said.
 
Part of the funding for the additional locomotives will come from the Emissions Reduction Alberta program, which has also helped fund an earlier expansion of the railroad's hydrogen program from one locomotive to three.
 
Ballard has provided CPKC with 38 fuel cell engines, providing 7.6 megawatts of power, over the last two years.
 
The locomtoives powered by the additional engines are expected to enter service in late 2024.
 
"Our hydrogen locomotive program demonstrates our commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and we are pleased to continue to work with the team at Ballard to implement effective alternative fuel solutions," Kyle Mulligan, CPKC assistant vice president operations technology, said in a press release.
 
"We are excited by CPKC's vision and action plan to demonstrate and validate the use of hydrogen-powered locomotives to decarbonize their locomotive fleet. This latest order demonstrates CPKC's continued progress against this vision and plan, while also serving as another proof point for the enabling role of Ballard's fuel cell engines in the electrification of locomotive rail applications in North America," said Seungsoo Jung, Ballard's vice president of rail and emerging markets.
 
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