JCB’s hydrogen combustion engine has been approved for use commercially in machines by 11 licensing authorities from across Europe.
The UK-based construction firm can now sell the engine throughout Europe and has said that they expect other countries to follow suit with certification in 2025.
The Netherlands’ vehicle authority RDW was the first to issue an official certification before licensing bodies in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Finland, Switzerland and Lichtenstein followed.
© JCB
JCB has already produced more than 130 evaluation engines which are powering backhoe loaders, loadall telescopic handlers and generator sets, whilst real-world testing of its equipment at customers’ sites is now at an advanced stage.
“This is a very significant moment for JCB,” stated Chairman, Anthony Bamford. “To start the New Year with certification in place in so many European countries bodes very well for the future of hydrogen combustion technology.
“JCB has proved in recent years that it is a proper zero emissions solution for construction and agricultural equipment. This formal type of approval paves the way for the sale and use of hydrogen engines right across the UK and Europe.”
Last month (December 2024), the company unveiled plans to establish a new joint venture focused on hydrogen distribution, storage and refuelling systems.
Read more:HYKIT to launch in 2025 with hydrogen infrastructure for heavy machinery
HYKIT is being developed jointly by JCB, HYCAP and HydraB Group, and is set to launch this year in Oxfordshire.
Hydrogen ICE: The future of off-road machinery
© JCB
After being challenged by JCB Chairman Lord Bamford in July 2020, who has long championed the equipment manufacturer’s Net Zero programme, JCB prioritised hydrogen ICE technology as an alternative solution over fuel cells and batteries due to the “unique demands of off-road machinery.”
By 2021, the firm announced plans to invest £100m ($127m) into a project to develop hydrogen engines.
In March 2023, the company showcased its hydrogen engine for the first time internationally at the Conexpo in Las Vegas, which at the time had already powered a prototype backhoe loader and loadall.
In addition to working on familiar and traditional technology, JCB managed to partner with all its original engine component suppliers.
Now with over 50,000 hours of testing on hydrogen machines and engines in hot and cold temperatures and over 100 engines developed, Tim Burnhope stated JCB has great confidence that the solution is one of the ways forward for NRMM.
