Keyou and Komatsu have jointly developed a 12-cylinder, hydrogen engine-powered dump truck for the construction sector, in what they’re claiming is a world’s first.
Together, the Munich, Germany-based hydrogen technology firm and the Japanese construction equipment manufacturer are now conducting proof-of-concept tests at the latter’s Ibaraki plant.
The hydrogen-powered truck features a 700 bar tank system provided by Argo-Anleg, which is mounted beside the cab for maximum storage capacity.
The proof-of-concept tests will evaluate the vehicle’s driving performance, continuous operating hours and fuel efficiency.
The project builds on a six-year partnership between the two companies. They began working on the hydrogen-powered dump truck in 2023, and the first firing on the engine was achieved a year later at Keyou partner, KST in Bad Dürkheim, Germany.
The first firing of the vehicle was completed in January (2025), marking the start of the proof-of-concept.
Taisuke Kusaba, Senior Executive Officer, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and President of the Development Division at Komatsu, said the two companies will “continue to develop this technology as one of the key pillars of our carbon incentives.”
The Japanese firm aims to cut CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve full climate neutrality by 2050.
In May 2023, Komatsu revealed a new concept hydraulic excavator that is powered by a Toyota hydrogen fuel cell system.
Hydrogen-powered trucking: Progress, pitfalls and the path to cost parity
As the hydrogen application funnel has narrowed, mobility advocates have been coining heavy-duty trucks as the frontier that will reap the benefits of hydrogen.
Despite 2024 proving to be a year of hampered ambitions across various end-uses, truck firms appeared to make clear strides in deploying heavy-duty hydrogen-powered vehicles.
The phoenix out of the ashes that is Nikola in October said that it had sold 235 of its Class 8 TRE FCEV trucks between Q4 2023 and Q3 2024. The firm also unveiled trials with the likes of DHL, Purina and Walmart.
Accelera by Cummins set a new Guinness World Record for the longest distance travelled by a hydrogen FCEV truck without refuelling. The Kenworth 5370, powered by Accelera’s fuel cells, travelled 1,806 miles in California on a single fill.
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