British construction equipment company JCB today unveiled its backhoe loader powered by a purpose-built hydrogen-based combustion engine in India in the presence of Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.
“The technology offers the same power, torque and efficiency, but with zero tailpipe emissions,” the minister said while introducing the product.
JCB has a £100m project to produce hydrogen engines. The company noted that a team of 150 engineers is working to develop hydrogen combustion engines and that more than 75 prototypes have already been manufactured at JCB’s UK engine plant.
India is JCB’s largest market outside of Europe. Recently, JCB India CEO and Managing Director Deepak Shetty said a Coach Professional which expects the business to double over the next five years thanks to the current infrastructure projects announced by the government.
Earlier this year, the government announced the green hydrogen mission with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore from FY24-30. The program aims for a national green hydrogen production capacity of up to 5 MMT per year by 2030 and reduces dependence on imported fossil fuels.
“Hydrogen holds promise as an excellent energy pathway to reduce carbon emissions in the road construction sector for the benefit of ecology and the environment,” Gadkari said.
“It is only a matter of time before hydrogen becomes available in India for a variety of applications. The transition from diesel to hydrogen will be much faster than we think, and JCB India will be ready,” Shetty, CEO and Managing Director of JCB India. said
Separately, JCB UK also unveiled its own mobile refueling bowser designed and built to bring fuel to the machines.
