China's first hydrogen-powered tram line coming to Fushan

Construction has started on China's first hydrogen-powered tram line.

A hydrogen-powered tram developed by CRRC Qingdao Sifang Company Limited. [Photo: thepaper.cn]

It's being built in the city of Fushan in southern China's Guangdong province, and is a collaboration between the city's Gaoming District and CRRC Qingdao Sifang Company Limited.

With an initial investment of 760 million yuan (USD), the first phase of construction is due to be finished at the end of 2018. The line will be 17.4 kilometers in length and have 20 stations in total. A 6.5-kilometer-long stretch will be completed during the first phase of construction, reports the China News Service.

8 hydrogen-powered tramcars will be built to run on the line, all of them self-developed by China. The tramcar, with three compartments, will run at a top speed of 70 kilometers per hour. Each of vehicles will be able to carry a maximum of 285 passengers.

Engineers say the hydrogen-powered tram being built will be very different from those already in operation. Running on hydrogen energy, the new tram will be able to travel further, with water the only exhaust product.

To better tackle increasingly severe air pollution problems, China has dedicated itself to developing and promoting green energy vehicles across the country.

The railcar-maker CRRC Qingdao Sifang is a world leader in developing green energy-powered trains and manufactured the world's first hydrogen-powered tramcar last year, making China the first country to have mastered the technology.