Lower Thames Crossing to use hydrogen as fuel for heavy construction machinery

National Highways has announced that it will purchase one of the largest volumes of low-carbon hydrogen ever bought in UK transport sector, in order to reduce the carbon footprint of the Lower Thames Crossing, the first major UK infrastructure project to use hydrogen to power its heavy construction machinery.

As a part of National Highways’ commitment to net-zero maintenance and construction emissions by 2040, the proposed Lower Thames Crossing has been designated a pathfinder project to explore carbon neutral construction. The scheme seeks to remove an estimated total of 66 million litres of diesel from its worksites.

The move kick-starts the Construction Leadership Council’s government-backed route map to eliminate diesel from most construction sites by 2035, by giving major firms and suppliers the confidence to invest in hydrogen skills and technologies.

National Highways is aiming to buy the supply, storage and distribution of over 6 million kg of hydrogen to use on the project, which will replace around 20 million litres of diesel. Projects such as HS2 have trialled small hydrogen generators, however the Lower Thames Crossing would be the first in the UK to use the fuel on a large scale to power its major construction vehicles such as excavators and dump trucks.

The project also plans to use an electric plant for static or slow-moving machinery, where a mains connection is possible, and in smaller equipment where battery solutions are viable. Other renewable fuel sources and biofuels may also be used.

Nusrat Ghani MP, Minister for Industry and Economic Security, said: “Last month we unveiled our new Route Map to drive diesel out of construction, marking a vital step towards achieving our ambitions of net zero by 2050. I’m pleased to now see National Highways' plans to replace diesel with hydrogen on the proposed Lower Thames Crossing project. This will not only drive forward our construction sector’s net-zero transition but also help to create a new hydrogen ecosystem in the Thames Estuary, moving us forward towards a cleaner, greener industrial future.”

Matt Palmer, Executive Director, Lower Thames Crossing, said: “At the heart of these plans is the use of clean, low-carbon hydrogen power, and by using it on such a large scale to power our heavy construction machinery that is traditionally hard to electrify, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint, accelerate the construction industry’s shift away from diesel, and help kick start the creation of a hydrogen ecosystem in the Thames Estuary.”

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/11072023/lower-thames-crossing-to-use-hydrogen-as-fuel-for-heavy-construction-machinery/