CPA Bulletin

42 CPA Bulletin > August 2024 www.cpa.uk.net As the world accelerates towards a Net Zero future, the potential for hydrogen to transform construction and plant machinery has never been more promising. We are beginning to see significant strides in harnessing decarbonised solutions, especially the use of alternative fuels, across the mobility sectors. Real progress has already been made in areas such as heavy goods vehicles and passenger cars, and now the Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM) sector, including construction equipment, is poised for a similar breakthrough. Current Landscape There is a huge appetite within the construction industry for alternative solutions which will provide greater efficiencies, lower emissions and more sustainability. Given that NRMM accounts for approximately 2.7% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions, the need for adopting clean energy alternatives is high on the agenda. Significant investment and time are spent each year exploring new technologies and how these can work in an industry which operates in varied terrains and challenging working conditions. Hydrogen, with its high energy density and zero-emission performance, represents an appealing solution to this challenge. A Range of Benefits Remote locations, areas with high grid constraints, and construction sites pose issues for the provision of electricity and reduce the viability of electric solutions. Hydrogen solutions are not subject to the same constraints. Both Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) and fuel cells offer benefits for NRMM decarbonisation. Whilst ICEs offer reduced initial investment for manufacturers looking to switch from fossil fuels together with zero carbon and minimal NOx emissions, fuel cells offer low operational costs, reliability and zero emissions. Unlike other sectors, the intensive operational demands of NRMM usually requires infrastructure to transport fuel to the machine rather than vice versa, but this is challenging in transient environments such as construction. As such, refuelling solutions must be flexible and adaptive to support the changing operational demands of NRMM – which hydrogen can deliver. This potential is a reality - at the HEA, our members cover the entire hydrogen value chain and represent more than 200,000 employees globally with combined revenue of more than £400billion. We work together to accelerate the deployment of hydrogen in the UK, to ensure sectors like construction can benefit from pioneering technology and advancements. Regulatory Solutions Progress is being made in the regulatory landscape to streamline the policy framework and unlock significant growth in hydrogen. The HEA was recently involved in the Government consultation on enabling road use of hydrogen-powered non-road mobile machinery – an exciting step towards accelerating the sector’s transition to Net Zero. It followed manufacturers identifying hydrogen as a potential means of decarbonising parts of the NRMM sector where battery electric power is not practical. Our response, representing discussions within our broad range of members, encouraged the Government to take a “holistic approach” when considering regulations, and showed how hydrogen could be part of a “pragmatic, long-term roadmap” for how NRMM will be supported in achieving the endpoint of Net Zero by 2050. Embracing both New and Retrofitted Solutions The adoption of hydrogen solutions isn’t limited to newmachinery alone – and another focus area is the ability to modify existing assets. Retrofitting NRMM with hydrogen technology not only broadens the scope for Insight: The Potential of Hydrogen in Construction and Plant Machinery GUEST ARTICLE: 1 The construction industry stands on the brink of an energy revolution. Here, Celia Greaves, CEO of the Hydrogen Energy Association, the UK’s leading trade body in the hydrogen energy sector - which is at the forefront of this transition - explores the potential for hydrogen to decarbonise construction and plant machinery, and explains how it is advocating for policies which facilitate the deployment of hydrogen solutions across the entire value chain.