A new report reveals hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2ICE) are a leading technological solution to decarbonise critical off-road, heavy-duty sectors, from construction and agriculture to mining and forestry, that rely on non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) for their operations.
Issued today, Powering Growth – The Role of Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines in Non-Road Mobile Machinery provides key findings and recommendations for advancing hydrogen engines in the UK’s off-road machinery market, a hard-to-decarbonise sector with major economic importance.
The report, published by the Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Task and Finish Group (convened by DESNZ and the Hydrogen Delivery Council), recommends the UK government should classify and promote H2ICE as a zero-emissions technology in line with EU policy.
Additional recommendations include establishing incentives in public procurement and construction contracts to recognise and reward low emission solutions and ensure projects measure and pay for emissions; creating consistent and harmonised standards and regulations for onsite hydrogen safety and requirements; developing financial incentives specifically for NRMM to accelerate fuel switching.
“H2ICE represents a major opportunity for NRMM decarbonisation, while delivering immediate improvements in air quality and public health, estimated to deliver savings of £150m to £505m per year in environmental and health care costs. As a consequence, it is strongly recommended that H2ICE is accepted as an appropriate technology for rapid decarbonisation with the co-benefits of significantly improved air quality,” said the report.
Powering Growth – The Role of Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines in Non-Road Mobile Machinery was developed by the Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Sub-Group of the Off-taker Working Group to feed into the Hydrogen Delivery Council and shape net-zero and zero-emission technology policy.
Key findings include:
- Performance and efficiency: H2ICE can match or surpass the efficiency and performance of diesel engines, depending on the hydrogen injection and engine boosting technologies used. H2ICE supports hydrogen infrastructure investment and provides a viable, immediate decarbonisation option for NRMM by enabling a swift switch to hydrogen fuel, driving demand and expanding the hydrogen user base.
- Air quality: H2ICEs are estimated to improve air quality emissions by 14-20 times compared to the latest diesel engines. An estimate of the cost savings arising from avoided damage to the environment, human health and productivity, shows adopting H2ICE technology could save between £150m and £505 million annually in health and environmental damage costs.
- Extremely low levels of NOx and particulates: A mix of research, development and production projects by leading companies JCB, Cummins and Volvo Construction Equipment demonstrate that NOx is not produced in any significant quantity, if at all. JCB data shows circa 0.001 g per kWh under steady state conditions. All three stakeholders’ engines are delivering a 93-95% reduction in tailpipe NOx compared to the current limit on diesel engines’ NOx emissions (Stage V – the European/UK standard). Similarly, reductions in particulate matter of more than 98% are expected both in terms of mass and number. This dramatic fall in NOx and particulates will contribute to the improvement of recommended public health air quality standards in cities.
- Greenhouse gas emissions: Since the fuel contains no carbon, the use of H2ICE in NRMM technology can reduce CO₂ emissions by 99.95% and reduce the global warming potential of all greenhouse gases by up to 99.9%. Fast deployment is possible because it uses existing components, supply chains and assembly lines. Maintenance uses existing skills, with additional training for high-pressure pipework and safety. H2ICE can be retrofitted into diesel-powered vehicles with only minor adjustments for larger fuel tanks.
- Practicalities of use: Familiar combustion technology means minimal changes in manufacture, maintenance, training, and experience relative to other approaches. H2ICE is the least likely to be inflationary. It offers a hugely significant opportunity for delivering volumes at scale, reducing the time to deliver cost-effective, zero-carbon solutions, with additional benefits to the wider hydrogen component supply chain.
- Impact on the hydrogen economy and industry growth In a sector worth at least £17.6bn to the UK economy in 2022, and employing almost 100,000 people, H2ICE represents the best opportunity to mitigate the risk of job losses and promote retention of skills in the energy transition. By leading and embracing the UK’s already globally leading industry with over 80% of its revenue today from exports, acting now is likely to fill current skills gaps, and benefit to UK economic growth, influence and standing. H2ICE in NRMM could help accelerate the overall development of the hydrogen economy and the energy system benefits that that can accrue.
- Strategic opportunities for the UK: By supporting H2ICE as a zero-emission technology (as defined by the EU), the UK could leverage its established manufacturing and engineering expertise, sustaining and creating jobs in the hydrogen supply chain. The report recommends official recognition of H2ICE as a net-zero solution for NRMM to accelerate decarbonisation while supporting the UK’s industry in achieving its 2050 net-zero targets.
Amanda Lyne, Managing Director of ULEMCo and Chair of the HEA, and Steve Sapsford, Managing Director at SCE, co-chaired the Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Sub-Group – which was convened by DESNZ and industry-led, with members including equipment manufacturers, suppliers, end-users, trade associations, service providers, independent experts and academics.
Amanda Lyne said: “This review of the evidence on hydrogen combustion confirms that not only can engines be effectively zero carbon, but they will also meet and exceed the needs of air quality emissions and therefore should be acknowledged as an extremely valuable technology for delivering net zero. The fact this could then provide the least inflationary route to decarbonisation in a significant range of off-road machinery applications, offers a massive opportunity for the industries that use this equipment to become a scaled market for significant demand for hydrogen.”
Steve Sapsford commented: “We are going to need a balanced portfolio of solutions for off-road machinery and this report highlights the critical role of H2ICE in reaching those hard-to-decarbonise applications in remote and harsh environments. We have assembled equipment manufacturers, suppliers, end-users and the academic community to produce this data and publish an evidence-based report highlighting the opportunities for H2ICE. It is of critical importance that we act now – anything we can do to reduce GHG emissions today is worth far more than a promise in the future. H2ICE offers us just such a near-term solution, but only if policymakers and regulators enable this to happen.”
The full report is kindly being promoted by the Hydrogen Energy Association (HEA) and hosted on the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK’s website (APC) in their Partner Insights section here: https://www.apcuk.co.uk/knowledge-base/partner-insights/
