Read about the 240 ton electric mining truck that can charge in 30 minutes in the February 2023 issue of Alternative Power Report produced by PSR’s Guy Youngs. The same issue contains articles about Volvo’s electric concrete mixer truck and its wheel loader. Europe’s charging corridor will make driving easier for MHVs. PSR
For a long while, it looked as if hydrogen fuel cells would be the technology of choice for emissions-free road transport. However, truck manufacturers and freight forwarders recently turned their attention to battery-electric vehicles.
For logistics companies, the shift to zero emissions will be difficult. While it only takes a few minutes to top up the tank of a truck with diesel, it takes hours to fully charge the battery of an EV, which presents a real challenge for logistics businesses with zero-emission aspirations.
The January 2023 Alternative Power Report produced by PSR’s Guy Youngs and other analysts at Power Systems Research includes several articles on hydrogen power. New applications of hydrogen power from construction to marine are discussed in this issue. Plans by OEMs Audi and BMW for new EV cars also are discussed. PSR
Hydrogen ICE vehicles offer an alternative to traditional gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles and have the potential to reduce emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. These vehicles are becoming increasingly popular and more automakers are starting to offer hydrogen-powered options in their vehicle lineups.
JCB’S £100 million investment in a project to produce super-efficient hydrogen engines is going full steam ahead. A team of 100 engineers has been working on the exciting development for more than a year and the 50th JCB hydrogen combustion engine has now come off the production line as part of the development process.
JCB’s hydrogen-fueled backhoe loader is one of three hydrogen vehicles the OEM is developing. JCB hydrogen engines are powering prototype backhoe loaders and Loadall telescopic handlers and the company has recently unveiled its very own designed and built mobile refueling bowser to take fuel to the machines. The bowser has enough hydrogen to fill 16 hydrogen backhoe loaders and can be transported either on the back of a modified Fastrac tractor or on a trailer.
Hyster Company is testing a top-pick container handler powered by hydrogen fuel cells (HFC) at Fenix Marine Services in the Port of Los Angeles.
Based on the standard Hyster H1050-1150XD-CH top-pick container handler design, the truck is powered by two 45kw hydrogen fuel cells from Nuvera, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyster parent company Hyster-Yale Group. The HFC-powered top pick is designed to provide the zero emissions benefits of a battery electric option, with enough capacity to keep operators moving and avoid the need to stop in the middle of a shift to refuel or recharge.
The electric vehicle market in India is mostly dominated by lithium-ion battery technology, which powers two-, three- and four-wheeler vehicles. But this situation comes with its own set of challenges.
For instance, each battery chemistry has a different energy density, peak power output and charging time. Hence, the industry is working on alternative green solutions, and the government of India is aggressively working on hydrogen as a fuel option.
In terms of refueling time, hydrogen has a definitive advantage over batteries. It takes just a couple of minutes for a hydrogen vehicle to be refueled, irrespective of size, compared to the hours it takes to recharge an electric vehicle.
The union cabinet approved US$ 2.4 trillion (Rs 19,744 cr) for National Green Hydrogen Mission. The mission has four components aimed at enhancing domestic production of green hydrogen and promoting the manufacturing of electrolysers — a key constituent for making green hydrogen. The initial target is to produce 5 million tons of green hydrogen annually.
Along with the government, other industry stakeholders are taking significant steps to develop hydrogen fuel. Ashok Leyland (one of the largest CV makers) is working with Reliance industries on the development and supply chain of hydrogen-powered engines.
Ashok Leyland plans to install fuel-cell engines in an existing fleet of 45,000 trucks that RIL has hired to transport refined products and other marketing goods as a first stage in the strategy. Also, Adani (diversified business portfolio) and TotalEnergies (French energy and petroleum company) have entered into a partnership to jointly create the world’s largest green hydrogen ecosystem.
The potential of the country towards the production of hydrogen is attractive to many companies. European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is looking to source green hydrogen from India as well as Australia and Latin America.
“India is an amazing location with huge potential for the production of (green) hydrogen at a very exciting cost,” says Glenn Llewellyn, VP Zero-Emission Aircraft at Airbus.
In the 16th edition of the motor show Auto Expo Toyota, MG motors, Tata motors, Hyundai, and VECV, showcased their hydrogen-powered vehicles across several segments. It’s evident that OEMs are seriously exploring the option of Hydrogen powered vehicles. PSR
Aditya Kondejkar is Research Analyst – South Asia Operationsfor Power Systems Research
Read news and analysis from PSR’s Guy Youngs about hydrogen power applications in the November issue of the Alternative Power report by Power Systems Research.
JCB has unveiled a mobile hydrogen refueler which it says will allow on-site refueling of hydrogen powered machines in the same way that fuel bowsers are used for diesel powered equipment.
The mobile hydrogen refueller is designed to provide an easy way to refuel machines, the vast majority of which have fuel delivered to them while working on site, said the company. JCB said customers are already used to a transportable fuel system.
A new hydrogen fuel truck is being tested by the mining industry in hopes of helping to decarbonize activities that have been exceptionally challenging to mitigate. The mining industry contributes 7% of the world’s total carbon emissions per year, (according to McKinsey). This represents more than twice the carbon emissions from the global shipping industry, for example.
The hydrogen-powered vehicle is meant to replace typical mining haul vehicles, which pollute heavily.
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