Norway-based Applied Hydrogen AS, a developer of hydrogen-powered equipment and refueling systems for the construction industry, and Ballard Power Systems are partnering on the development of a new zero-emission fuel cell excavator, incorporating Ballard’s FCmove-XD 120kW fuel cell engine.

Supported by Enova, an enterprise of the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment, the excavator will be delivered to one of the Nordic region’s largest construction companies, Veidekke AS.

Applied Hydrogen AS was established in Kongsberg in 2020. The company is converting heavy construction machinery from diesel to hydrogen operation, and will simultaneously establish a distribution network for hydrogen to building and construction sites. In September, Veidekke secured a 20% ownership interest in the company.

The operation of heavy-duty machinery represents a large portion of the construction industry’s CO₂ footprint, and we believe hydrogen is set to play a key role in decarbonizing the heaviest operations which require a power source with higher energy density than can be provided by batteries alone. We’re collaborating with Ballard to optimize the integration of the latest generation FCmove-XD 120kW fuel cell to deliver the engine power required to meet the challenges of the demanding construction environment.

—Vidar Sten-Halvorsen, general manager at Applied Hydrogen

Ballard’s FCmove-XD fuel cell (top) integrated in engine compartment of Volvo EC300E excavator (bottom).

Based on the Volvo EC300E crawler excavator, the hydrogen fuel cell 30-ton excavator is scheduled for trials and testing by Veidekke and the project partners in April 2024. The excavator will be supported by a mobile refueling station that can be located on construction sites.

It is expected that a hydrogen-powered 30-ton excavator will eliminate approximately 60 tons of CO₂ emissions per year.