As BAM commits to net zero carbon emissions by 2026, Element 1 is a key part of our strategy. It’s 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 through the UK Government’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP).
We know that mobile construction plant is a significant emitter of carbon, providing a real challenge to reduce emissions whilst continuing with our construction projects. Element 1 seeks to address this by reducing the consumption of diesel by introducing hydrogen as a fuel. We have seen electrification of smaller plant becoming more widespread but large mobile plant is particularly difficult to convert to batteries due to the power required for operation and charging infrastructure.
By the end of 2024, we’re aiming to introduce an end-to-end hydrogen solution on a construction site, but there’s plenty of work to do in the meantime.
Our design and manufacture of the necessary equipment is going well. We have surveyed the Caterpillar and Kobelco excavators and devised solutions to allow the injection of hydrogen into the engine. Initial tests have been successful with hydrogen displacing diesel in the plant workshops by approximately 40%.
