From pasture to platform integrating agrivoltaics and green hydrogen for the Penzance–London railway corridor

Decarbonising heavy-duty transport, particularly rail, is critical to the UK’s 2050 net-zero target. This study assesses the feasibility of a green-hydrogen-powered rail system fuelled by agrivoltaics (APV), combining solar generation from APV, train-rooftop photovoltaics, and track-integrated photovoltaics (TIPV). QGIS determined optimal APV siting relative to rail infrastructure, with the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT), PVsyst and HOMER Pro coupled to evaluate agricultural, energy, and economic performance. The London Paddington to Penzance route was modelled using a 9-car Class-800 hydrogen train (8,080.9 kWh per leg, 440.8 kg of compressed hydrogen per journey, 7,053.1 kg daily fleet demand). Using existing overhead electrification between London and Newbury reduces annual electrical demand by 11% to 132.27 GWh, requiring 2,290 tonnes of green hydrogen annually. A 114.4 MWp APV array at Long Rock Depot, covering 198.3 ha, meets this demand, generating 151.00 GWh annually. DSSAT modelling showed faba bean yield rising by 66% at 30% ground coverage ratio (GCR), while sugar beet yield declined steadily with increasing GCR, indicating that agrivoltaic compatibility is crop-dependent rather than universal. HOMER Pro identified only a grid-supplemented architecture as commercially defensible: CAPEX £161.7 M, lifecycle net present cost (NPC) £263.1 M, IRR 18.39%, 5.41-year payback, and a levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) of £7.99/kg. Track- and vehicle-integrated photovoltaics both proved energetically marginal against real traction demand. Seasonal hydrogen storage, while technically feasible, was economically unviable, with LCOH rising to £28.11/kg. Seawater desalination was identified as the preferred water feedstock, avoiding conflict with domestic supply.