JCB’s ambitious £100 million project, focused on creating super-efficient hydrogen engines, made its debut in India in the presence of Nitin Gadkari, the Honorable Minister for Road Transport and Highways . The unveiling marked the first public appearance of a JCB backhoe powered by a purpose-built hydrogen combustion engine, demonstrating JCB’s commitment to meeting carbon emission reduction targets and driving decarbonisation in the construction sector. Indian construction.
The debut of the JCB 3DX hydrogen-powered backhoe coincides with COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, which emphasizes JCB’s role in providing practical and affordable technology for global decarbonisation.
JCB India Managing Director and CEO Deepak Shetty expressed pride in unveiling the prototype in India, highlighting the nation’s efforts to make hydrogen the zero-carbon fuel of the future through initiatives such as the Mission National of Hydrogen. He credited the visionary leadership of JCB chairman Lord Bamford for driving the development of hydrogen-powered machines.
A dedicated team of 150 JCB engineers is working on the project, producing more than 75 prototypes at JCB’s UK engine plant. Already, JCB hydrogen engine prototypes are powering Loadall backhoes and telehandlers. JCB UK has also introduced a mobile bowser designed and built in-house to efficiently supply hydrogen to the machines.
Lord Bamford emphasized that hydrogen could play a key role in India’s net-zero future, given the country’s abundant water and solar resources. Hydrogen offers a clean, carbon-free fuel that aligns with India’s need for a fast-charging mobile solution, crucial to minimizing downtime in the demanding earth-moving sector.
Highlighting the benefits of hydrogen combustion engines, Lord Bamford claimed they offer the same power, torque and efficiency as traditional diesel engines, but in a carbon-free way. In addition, hydrogen combustion engines take advantage of proven diesel engine technology without relying on rare earth elements.
JCB’s commitment to reducing fuel consumption has already resulted in diesel-powered machines using 50% less fuel on average than those manufactured more than a decade ago, saving 16 billion liters of fuel and reducing CO2 emissions in 53 million tons.
Shetty concluded by expressing confidence in the rapid adoption of hydrogen in India, citing ongoing trials and JCB’s position as the first construction equipment manufacturer to introduce hydrogen combustion engines and prototypes of machines powered by these engines.
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