FCAB launches South America's first hydrogen locomotive

This is an automated translation of the original release published in Spanish.

PRESS RELEASE from FCAB
November 2024

The machine was presented at the Antofagasta railroad to the community of Antofagasta in an event led by the Executive President of Antofagasta plc, Iván Arriagada, and which was also attended by regional and local authorities.

The locomotive, in its first phase, will travel from the FCAB facilities in the city to the port and will be used in internal maneuvers.

“This milestone is another step in a path of innovation that is part of the hallmark of Antofagasta Minerals and FCAB. It will allow us to learn about this new fuel, which only emits water vapor and hot air, unlike fossil fuels such as diesel. We want to study possible uses of this fuel in the future, when the technology is more mature,” said Arriagada.

This morning, FCAB presented to the community of Antofagasta the first hydrogen-powered locomotive that will operate in Chile and South America.

This step will allow the railroad to continue leading the way on the path towards energy transition, to contribute to decarbonization in the group's fight against climate change.

The locomotive, developed by CRRC Qishuyan Company, was specifically designed for FCAB operating routes and complies with the principles of standardization, modularization, serialization and generalization, ensuring its adaptability and efficiency.

In an immersive experience, attendees were able to take a visual tour that connected the 136 years of history of the railway with its innovative path towards a sustainable future.

The president of Antofagasta plc also said: “This milestone is another step on a path of innovation that is part of the hallmark of Antofagasta Minerals and FCAB. It will allow us to learn about this new fuel, which only emits water vapor and hot air, unlike fossil fuels such as diesel. We want to study possible uses of this fuel in the future, when the technology is more mature.”

For his part, the General Manager of the Antofagasta Railway, David Fernández, said: “Our will and commitment to the community of Antofagasta and to our clients is to explore all available technologies to progressively reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and, in this way, contribute to combating climate change.”

“I would like to congratulate the Antofagasta-Bolivia Railroad on its decision to take advantage of the opportunities offered by new technologies for both decarbonization in the freight industry and to enhance the productive linkage with the mining industry. I wish them much success in the advancement of this project and I hope that they continue to strongly promote this type of initiative in favor of more sustainable economic growth,” said the Minister of Economy, Nicolás Grau, in the message he sent to the rail company.

Meanwhile, Dafne Pino Riffo, Seremi of Energy, said that "we are extremely happy with the presentation of the Green Hydrogen Locomotive, since this project promoted by FCAB, not only introduces a unique technology in South America, but also reaffirms the industry's commitment to a cleaner future, aligned with our country's goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

The transformation that the company is leading represents a key initiative to decarbonize transport and advance our energy transition."

Characteristics

With a total output of 1,000 kilowatts, the locomotive is equipped with a large-capacity battery and a 35 MPa onboard hydrogen storage system. In addition, it has a lightweight design, which reduces the weight by approximately 30 tons compared with current hydrogen locomotives.

In a context of global transformation and green energy development, Ferrocarril de Antofagasta reinforces its commitment to cleaner and more efficient transport, in line with the objectives of the Antofagasta plc Group to reduce carbon emissions by 30% by 2030.

This clean fuel project will generate hubs of investment, innovation and local activity, where collaboration between different actors is essential to meet the challenges that the railway company has set itself.

FCAB has secured the supply of green hydrogen during 2024 and is in the final stage of enabling the necessary facilities, as well as training its staff in maintenance and operation of the machines by its workers.

This milestone positions FCAB as the first freight transport company in South America to use hydrogen-powered locomotives, consolidating its pioneering position in the South American market.