element 1 overview
Element 1 is a cross-industry consortium led by BAM which will develop the use of hydrogen as a supplement to lower diesel usage on construction sites, following the approval of a £4,872,653 grant from the UK Government.
The project is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and brings together expertise from construction (BAM & Skanska), plant hire (Flannery & Plantforce), hydrogen sector (ULEMCo, GeoPura, Reynolds Logistics) and Research and Technical Organisation BRE.
The Element 1 project will drive forward hydrogen manufacturing and supply chain efficiency, including off-site and on-site production, off-grid compression, innovative storage and distribution solutions. The system is designed to accelerate diesel replacement on construction sites, by replacing current engines with those capable of using 30-50% hydrogen, vastly reducing diesel usage and enabling existing plant use over its remaining lifecycle, eliminating the carbon footprint of scrapping machinery before the end of its lifespan.
Running for around two years, the project will provide practical solutions which will be demonstrated on operational construction sites.
The project aims to reduce the construction industry’s reliance on fossil fuels and has brought together a variety of contractors and suppliers from across the sector.
partnering for the future
Element 1 seeks to completely eliminate the use of diesel as a fuel on UK construction sites by 2040 and addresses this challenge via a scalable, commercially viable and globally applicable low-carbon alternative based on the use of hydrogen.
MISSION
Element 1 integrates state-of-the-art technologies with targeted R&D to address gaps in the end-to-end value chain. It will accelerate the replacement of diesel-using technologies whilst enabling existing plant to continue in use over its remaining lifecycle, accelerating progress towards ‘net zero’.
Pioneering
Collaborative
Transparent
Diligent
Latest element 1 news
Element 1’s first project demonstration day is a success
One of the excavators converted under the Element 1 project has been deployed for the first time at the BAM Victoria North project in Manchester. At a demonstration day held for all project partners and additional guests, visitors could see the machine successfully...
Final Two Excavators Converted For Hydrogen Fuel
Today marks another important step towards us deploying our end-to-end hydrogen fuel solution on construction sites. The project has successfully completed another important milestone with the installation of the hydrogen tanks and control systems to the two Kobelco...
Manchester Facility Prepares Hydrogen Excavators for Deployment
Today marks another important step towards us deploying the modified excavators on construction sites in Q4 this year. The project has reached an exciting stage with the installation of the hydrogen tanks and control systems to the two Caterpillar 320 excavators at...