Lucknow-based Concord Control Systems has secured an order worth ₹470 million (around $5.16 million) from NTPC to supply a 3,100 horsepower green hydrogen hybrid locomotive, a project being described as the highest-power hydrogen-powered rail application globally, reports Mercom.
The order has been awarded to Concord’s wholly owned subsidiary, Advanced Rail Controls. It covers the supply of all equipment required for a green hydrogen fuel-cell locomotive that will be retrofitted and deployed at NTPC’s Sipat plant in Chhattisgarh. The company is expected to complete the work within 18 months.
As part of the contract, the company will carry out basic design work for retrofitting existing locomotives or developing a new one, along with detailed engineering, procurement, fabrication, inspection and supply of materials. The scope also includes transport, handling, insurance, unloading, storage, commissioning, testing, performance checks and training. In addition, Concord will provide complete operation and maintenance support for a period of 20 years.
Company disclosures stated that the project represents the highest-ever horsepower conversion of a diesel locomotive to hydrogen power, far exceeding the earlier global benchmark of around 1,600 horsepower.
Unlike pilot or test projects, the locomotive is intended to be a commercially usable solution for freight operations, aimed at proving the practical use of hydrogen in heavy rail transport.
Concord said the project highlights India’s progress in clean mobility and local engineering capabilities and is in line with Indian Railways’ target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, well ahead of the country’s overall net-zero goal of 2070.
The company added that the order strengthens its presence in advanced railway technology and opens up opportunities for expansion in global markets for hydrogen- and battery-powered rail systems, especially in regions working to reduce transport emissions.
Concord clarified that the order is domestic and does not involve any related-party transactions.
Globally, the announcement comes at a time when several countries are pushing to cut emissions from rail transport. The European Union is aiming for climate neutrality by 2050, the United States is working towards net-zero rail emissions by the same year, and countries such as Japan, Australia, Brazil, South Africa and China are moving ahead with hydrogen rail projects.
In India, Indian Railways began work in 2023 on a hydrogen production and refuelling station in Jind, Haryana, to support the country’s first hydrogen-powered train under the Hydrogen for Heritage programme. The pilot involved converting a diesel-electric train on the Sonipat–Jind route to run on hydrogen. Under the programme, Indian Railways plans to operate 35 hydrogen trains, with the first expected to run on the 89-kilometre Jind–Sonipat stretch.
