A rebuilt Volvo excavator can make an important contribution to the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the construction industry.
Now the founders of Applied Hydrogen in Kongsberg are getting help from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and several major partners across the construction industry. This week, Development Director Kjell Inge Davik signed a cooperation agreement with Applied Hydrogen, Veidekke, Skanska, Hydrogen Solutions and Volvo Maskin. The goal is to develop and test Norway’s first hydrogen-powered excavator.
– This is an important step towards making the construction industry more sustainable, with zero-emission solutions even for the heaviest machines. The collaboration shows how the industry can come together to meet the climate challenges we face, says Development Director Kjell Inge Davik at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.
Collaboration as a key to achieving ambitious climate goals
Norway has set ambitious climate goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030. The construction industry accounts for a large part of the world’s CO2 emissions, and a significant proportion comes from fossil fuels such as diesel and gasoline.
– If society is to manage the green shift, it is crucial that builders, contractors, manufacturers and suppliers engage together in a joint effort to realize this type of zero-emission machines, says Davik.
In the project, a Volvo 300E excavator is converted to a hydrogen-powered machine. The hydrogen-powered excavator is designed to achieve the same performance as diesel machines in the heavier excavator segment, but with zero emissions.
Hydrogen matches diesel
The conversion involves removing the diesel engine and diesel tank, and replacing it with an electric motor. The electric motor drives the main pump and other units that were previously powered by the diesel engine. The machine contains a total of four hydrogen tanks and a battery. The fuel cell produces electrical energy from hydrogen, which powers the machine. The result is a zero-emission machine that matches diesel machines in both performance and capacity, while at the same time the emissions are limited to water vapour.
Testing on the Hålogaland Road
Since 2021, Applied Hydrogen has been leading the development of this technology. The work has now reached the final phase. The piloting is scheduled to start in spring 2025 on OPS Hålogalandsvegen, Northern Norway’s largest transport project ever, which Skanska is building for the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. OPS Hålogalandsvegen is a pilot project to test climate-smart solutions and reduce the environmental impact of road construction, both in current and future transport projects.
Skanska will lead the piloting and coordinate key activities such as testing, logistics and safety. An important part of the process will be the transfer of experience from Applied Hydrogen and Veidekke to ensure a successful transition from development to practical use. Applied Hydrogen will, together with Volvo, carry out maintenance and troubleshooting of the machine. Hyds will assist in training and improving the skills of all personnel who will be involved in hydrogen-related operations. Hyds is also responsible for the hydrogen deliveries and logistics related to the distribution of hydrogen to the project. Safety is the highest priority and must be ensured at all levels.
Press Release 2024-12-18 by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration in cooperation with Volvo Maskin, Veidekke Infrastruktur, Skanska Norway, Applied Hydrogen and HYDS – Hydrogen Solutions.
