1. Context

Faced with the scientific consensus, governments and local authorities have mobilized to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible. In 2015, the Paris Agreements at the end of COP 21 aimed to keep the rise in global temperature below 2°C compared with the pre-industrial era and before the end of the century. Following these commitments, in 2018 the European Commission presented its strategy for achieving a climate-neutral economy by 2050. In order to achieve these objectives, efforts must therefore be stepped up in all the sectors concerned, and particularly in the field of transport. With regard to rail applications, SNCF has announced a total phase-out of diesel by 2035. Other countries, such as the UK, Germany and Italy, are also following suit, and are already looking at low-carbon alternatives.

Among the existing options for reducing greenhouse gas...