Gadkari unveils first hydrogen-powered construction machine

Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, unveiled Asia’s first construction machine powered by hydrogen by JCB. The JCB Backhoe Loader showcased in New Delhi gets a hydrogen combustion engine, and is a part of the £100m investment by JCB to reduce the carbon footprint in construction.

To support hydrogen equipment, JCB has developed a mobile hydrogen refuelling unit which allows for easy transportation of hydrogen on site.

The refuelling unit can be driven to the machine, allowing refuelling in a similar way that it is currently done. The hydrogen technology is claimed to deliver power in the same way as conventional diesel engines, but with zero tailpipe emissions.

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Comparing hydrogen-powered machines to counterparts run on electricity, JCB says that batteries are not practical for equipment with high power demands, and for machines that work in remote locations, such as backhoe loaders and large excavators. Moreover, the high weight as well as price of the batteries also affects their use case scenario in construction. Charging the machines on-site would also be another hassle considering the time it would take for heavy equipment.