JCB has taken a different path from the industry trend of battery-electric machinery by developing a hydrogen internal combustion engine. While battery-electric excavators are ideal for urban noise restrictions, they often struggle with the high energy demands and continuous run-times of quarry and heavy earthmoving applications. JCB's hydrogen engine, derived from a modified diesel block, burns hydrogen directly in the cylinders, producing zero carbon emissions at the point of use.
From an engineering perspective, the challenge lay in storing sufficient hydrogen on board. JCB has developed a high-pressure, 700-bar hydrogen storage tank system that is integrated into the machine's counterweight. The tanks store enough hydrogen to power a 20-ton excavator for a full shift. The engine utilizes a high-efficiency turbocharger and a specialized direct injection system to manage the rapid combustion characteristics of hydrogen.
Unlike battery machines that require hours of downtime for charging, a hydrogen excavator can be refueled in under 10 minutes from a mobile hydrogen tanker. JCB has also developed a mobile refueling bowser to support these machines on remote sites. The engine produces near-zero NOx emissions due to JCB's advanced combustion strategy, which uses lean-burn technology to keep combustion temperatures low. This development allows heavy construction machinery to decarbonize without sacrificing the power density and refueling logistics that contractors rely on.
