The Road to Zero - Building a Greener Tomorrow Using Hydrogen
May 15, 2023
What energy source can replace fossil fuel, that generates zero-emissions, and still allows heavy machinery to work effectively for up to twelve hours on a full tank of fuel? The answer is Hydrogen.
JCB recently debuted a breakthrough at ConExpo 2023 when they unveiled the world's first hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE). The JCB Hydrogen engine is an innovative technology that aims to reduce the polluting output of heavy-duty vehicles.
They already have prototypes developed of the JCB Backhoe Loader and JCB Telescopic Handler machines powered by this technology. This is an actual hydrogen ICE engine and not a set of hydrogen fuel-cells, which are far more complicated to run.
Hydrogen is a clean fuel that generates 3X the energy per litre than diesel, and produces only water from the tailpipe as a byproduct when burned. This reduces the amount of particulate matter and other harmful pollutants in the air.
This technology can potentially revolutionize the construction and transportation industries by providing an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel-based engines. JCB made a breakthrough in showing the wide compatibility possibilities of their hydrogen combustion technology by installing one of their hydrogen engines into a 7.5-ton Mercedes truck. The retrofit of the engine into the truck was completed in just a few days!
What about hydrogen refueling? JCB has developed a mobile hydrogen refueller truck that can keep the machinery going for as long as the equipment is needed to run.
JCB's hydrogen engine is designed to deliver similar performance to traditional diesel engines while emitting zero harmful emissions. As cities around the world work towards reducing their carbon footprint, the JCB Hydrogen internal combustion engine provides a promising solution to the challenges of reducing emissions from heavy-duty vehicles.
As a company that deals in equipment which traditionally runs on fossil-fueled combustion engines, our focus is to encourage the use of alternative power sources. When electric vehicles are not possible, we will offer equipment at the forefront of emissions technology, as they come available.