BRITISH machinery giant, JCB, took centre stage at one of the world’s biggest construction equipment fairs with its multi-million dollar project developing hydrogen engines.

Making its debut at Conexpo 2023 in Las Vegas, the wraps came off the brand new JCB hydrogen combustion engine, the company’s zero-carbon emissions solution for construction and agricultural equipment.

With many deeming electric tractors unfit for purpose, in the face of a wholesale change to that power for motor vehicles, JCB has firmly set out its stall that hydrogen power is the way forward for agricultural and construction equipment.

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A team of 150 engineers has been working on the pioneering initiative to develop the engines and more than 50 prototypes have already been manufactured at JCB’s UK engine plant.

JCB chairman, Lord Anthony Bamford, who is personally leading the project, said: “The JCB engineering team has made enormous strides in a short space of time to develop a hydrogen internal combustion engine.

“As the first construction equipment company to develop a fully working combustion engine fuelled by hydrogen, I’m delighted we are now able to present this technology on the international stage.”

Prototype JCB hydrogen engines are already powering backhoe loader and Loadall telescopic handler machines and it had also made a major breakthrough in proving the wider appeal of hydrogen combustion technology by installing one of the super-efficient engines into a Mercedes 7.5-tonne truck.

JCB also unveiled its own-design and built mobile refuelling bowser to take hydrogen fuel to the machines. The bowser has enough hydrogen gas to fill 16 backhoe loaders and is able to be transported either on the back of a modified JCB Fastrac tractor, or on a trailer.

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Lord Bamford said: “The JCB engineering team had gone back to first principles to completely re-design the combustion process to work for hydrogen.

“In doing so, they have achieved two major things – secured JCB’s place in history as the first construction equipment company to develop a fully working combustion engine fuelled by hydrogen and steered us towards the production of a landmark 50 hydrogen combustion engines.”

JCB's chief added that its commitment to reducing emissions goes back almost 25 years and the latest diesel engines designed to comply with European Stage V regulations have already delivered a 97% reduction in NOx emissions since 1999 and a 98% reduction in particulates.

In addition, JCB’s drive to reduce fuel consumption means today’s JCB machines use 50% less fuel on average than those manufactured more than a decade ago. It had also been developing electric power but realised battery electric is suitable for small machines which do less hours and typically use less fuel.

Larger machines have a higher energy requirement and would need larger batteries, which would take longer to charge, making them less suitable for machines that work multiple daily shifts and do not have the available downtime to recharge.

As a result, JCB concentrated its development of electric machines on its compact range, including the 525-60E Loadall telehandler and the 19C-1E mini excavator, the world’s first electric mini excavator.

In its search for a mobile fuel which could be taken to the machine, ensuring maximum uptime and fast refuelling, HVO, biogas, E-fuels, ammonia, and hydrogen had all come under the microscope.

Lord Bamford added: “The majority of these alternative fuels require the production of hydrogen to make, so it makes perfect sense to use hydrogen in the first place because it is a clean zero carbon fuel which can be produced from renewable energy.

“Hydrogen also offers a potential solution to the challenge of batteries on larger machines; it allows for fast refuelling and is a mobile fuel solution, allowing fuel to be taken to the machine.

“The unique combustion properties of hydrogen enable the hydrogen engine to deliver the same power, the same torque, and the same efficiency that powers JCB machines today, but in a zero-carbon way,” he added.