Turkey may lead global hydrail industry

Turkey is poised to become a major hydrogen fuel cell innovation center, and even the world's first fuel cell hub, with the possibility of major railway networks running entirely on hydrogen fuel cell technology.

This was the message from Herbert Wancura, chief executive of NTDA Energia, a Spanish energy consulting firm specializing in fuel cell technology. Wancura was speaking at the Sixth International Hydrail Conference, held in Istanbul Thursday. Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, he further outlined why Turkey is uniquely positioned to kick-start a global industry.

“For a hydrail industry, Turkey has all the elements of what we call the dynamic diamond model,” said Wancura. He referred to Michael Porter, a professor at Harvard Business School specializing in company strategy and the competitiveness of nations and regions. In his book “The Competitive Advantage of Nations,” Porter published his theory of why particular industries become competitive in particular locations.

A hydrogen fuel cell uses oxygen and hydrogen to create an electrical current. Different than a normal cell battery, by carrying the hydrogen on board it consumes the reactant (oxygen) from the air and produces only water as a waste product. It can run almost indefinitely and is generally environmentally friendly. “Hydrail” is a general term for railways powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

“There is an opportunity to lay the foundations for an industry worth half a billion euros for just 60 million euros,” Wancura said. “This is an industrial opportunity, which means jobs. Perhaps 2,000 or even 3,000 jobs,” he said.

Advantages of Turkey

Wancura outlined specifically why Turkey could be successful: “Turkey is a transition economy. It has a vibrant entrepreneurial culture, a good scientific base, very good steel and engine manufacturing industries and a good rail electrification system already in place.” He said Turkey also crucially has “a will from the political elite for success stories.”

Turkey currently has several hydrogen fuel cell projects being developed by the International Center for Hydrogen Energy Technologies, or UNIDO-ICHET, a program of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. A tourist passenger ferry utilizing hydrogen fuel cell technology will be “operational in one year,” said Dr. Mustafa Hatipoğlu, the managing director of UNIDO-ICHET. The boats will operate around the Golden Horn.

Founded in Istanbul in 2004 and supported by the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, UNIDO-ICHET's role is to support, demonstrate and promote viable hydrogen energy technologies with the aims of enhancing future economic development, particularly in emerging countries, and of preventing the widening of the energy and technology gap, while helping skipping over the fossil fuel phase.

In terms of technology, “the science is done for Hydrail,” Wancura said. “The logic speaks for itself; success depends on whether the right people see this logic,” he said.

“Hydrogen fuel cells are something we will consider, but we need more evaluation,” said Turgut Kuma, a mechanical engineer and head of the traction department for Turkish State Railways.