Italferr at the conference AICQ 'Trasporto su rotaia (Rail Transport)' 2023

On 12 October in Florence, the Study and Debate Day of the Rail Transport Sector of the AICQ Italian Association for Quality Culture was held, entitled 'The evolution of railway traction systems for more efficient and sustainable transport'.

The event, organised in collaboration with CIFI - Association of Italian Railway Engineers, was attended by Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, Trenitalia, Rete Ferroviaria Italiana e – the Engineering Company of the Infrastructure Hub of FS Group and member of the AICQ Board of Directors.

To represent Italferr were the Head of the Energy and Electric Traction division and the Head of the Industrial and Technological Systems division who, with the paper entitled 'Italferr-Infrastructure: use of battery- or hydrogen-powered trains on railway networks and the use of energy from renewable sources', highlighted the evolution of electric traction for a more innovative and sustainable type of transport, aiming at “Total Green” electrification with the use of renewable sources.

This is part of the 'Energy' project that the FS Group launched in 2022, which involves many Group companies that today are focused on studying the installation of photovoltaic systems on areas owned by the Group, to be connected directly to the Electrical Substations and which will supply green energy directly to the trains. With the new electrification systems, a systemic and integrated approach is being considered, identifying the potential that can be brought on energy production systems from renewable sources and batteries. 

After the general overview on electric energy sources, Italferr also illustrated how the use of hybrid battery trains, depending on the type of line, the intensity of rail traffic and the civil works interfering with electrification, can be a significant opportunity to extend the use of electrically driven trains on the network (partial/light electrification).

Italferr also illustrated the state of the art of green hydrogen (H2) production, storage and refuelling plants for railway use, focusing on sizing criteria, national and European regulations, and the critical issues encountered during the development of the green H2 plant project serving the Terni-L'Aquila-Sulmona line.

In the audience were experts on international, European and national regulations, power electronics manufacturers, and manufacturers of hydrogen hybrid trains.

The subject matter aroused the interest of all those attending the conference and demonstrated how Italferr works in synergy with the other companies, all committed to the common achievement of the objectives of the FS Group's Industrial Plan, with particular attention to sustainability and ecological transition.