Tyneside battery innovator Turntide Technologies is toasting a significant step towards the creation of a battery hub to power zero-emission trains through a link-up with Hitachi Rail.
The Team Valley based business – created through the $100m merger of BorgWarner Gateshead, Sunderland’s Hyperdrive Innovation and Northumberland company Avid Technology – has been named as the preferred supplier for the design and supply of traction battery systems for Hitachi’s intercity battery train trial.
The partnership between the two companies is working towards a UK trial to demonstrate how its battery technology can simultaneously reduce emissions and fuel costs, with the pioneering tech on the cusp of making the UK a global leader in intercity battery train technology.
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It could also lead to a more lucrative deal, for mass production of battery management systems for Hitachi in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, ultimately triggering the creation of highly skilled jobs at Turntide’s design and production facilities at its Gateshead, Sunderland and Cramlington sites.
The partnership also represents a significant development in building a supply chain cluster in the region, coming three years after Hyperdrive innovation first teamed up with Hitachi Rail on a project to create batteries to power hundreds of trains across the UK, supporting the electrification of transport outside of passenger cars.
As well as being named as a preferred supplier, Turntide has received the Hitachi Rail Partner Award for Sustainability, which recognises Turntide’s work developing and manufacturing the battery system prototype for Hitachi’s reduced emissions bi-mode and tri-mode trains.
Installing battery technology on a Hitachi intercity train will help cut fuel usage and reduce carbon emissions by at least 20%. Battery and hybrid trains provide a much faster, more affordable alternative to electrifying tens of thousands of kilometres of track across the UK or millions of kilometres globally. The trains can switch between diesel power, overhead electric power or battery power and can run on battery power alone.
Jim Brewin, chief director for UK & Ireland, Hitachi Rail, said: “The innovation and ingenuity that Turntide brings to electrification is exemplary, and we are delighted to name the company as our preferred battery systems supplier. We also recognise the importance of building local supply chains, which makes this appointment even more significant and highlights the role North East England has to play in electrification.
“The electric car industry has already proved battery solutions. The real challenge has been to scale this technology designed to power a two-tonne vehicle for a 200 to 400-tonne train. It’s not as simple as just making the battery bigger. Hitachi Rail’s engineers, in collaboration with Turntide, have been working for more than a year on creating the necessary algorithms and software to achieve this upscaling.”
Mark Cox, general manager of Turntide’s transport business unit, said: “Recognition for the development of this battery system speaks to the level of collaboration and expertise the Turntide team brings to complex electrification projects. We possess the advanced skills necessary to assist clients such as Hitachi Rail in overcoming the technical challenges associated with electrifying passenger rail cars and decreasing carbon emissions in the railway sector.”
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