Ballard-powered hydrogen excavator premieres at industry event in Norway

Norwegian equipment and system developer Applied Hydrogen premiered its hydrogen excavator, powered by Ballard's FCmove®-XD, at the Vei og Anlegg exhibition in Lillestrøm, Norway on April 24. The zero-emission fuel cell vehicle will be delivered to leading Scandinavian construction company, Veidekke, following successful trials this year.

The hydrogen-powered vehicle is based on a Volvo EC300EI crawler excavator, which has been converted to deliver a decarbonized heavy-duty solution. The process involved removing the excavator’s original diesel engine and replacing it with hydrogen power – by integrating Ballard’s powerful FCmove®-XD 120kW fuel cell technology, which is tailored for heavy-duty mobility.

As the project has progressed successfully, the crawler excavator has undergone testing with Veidekke and the other program partners during early 2024. These trials have also included an on-site mobile refueling station to support the vehicle’s operation.

The conversion of the excavator consisted of a completely new fuel cell-based power plant, with Ballard's  FCmove^®-XD 120kW fuel cell engine meeting the excavator's requirements fully. Introducing hydrogen to the power train enables machine operation with much higher energy consumption, with similar performance to diesel-powered vehicles - as one 15-30-minute refill provides enough fuel for the model to complete a full shift without the need for breaks or catering for capacity limitations.

In terms of the effectiveness of decarbonization, it is expected that a hydrogen-powered 30-ton excavator will eliminate approximately 60 tons of CO₂ emissions per year.

"The Vei og Anlegg exhibition has been a great event to showcase Applied Hydrogen and the zero-emission excavator, and we are pleased with the interest and positive responses we've received throughout the week. It is clear that when people have the chance to see the complete unit up close and in person they gain a better understanding that this technology is not only for the future, but is happening right now."

Vidar Sten-Halvorsen CEO, Applied Hydrogen

As an additional highlight, Volvo Maskin AS – with Applied Hydrogen’s demonstrator included in its exhibition – walked away with the award for the best stand at Vei og Anlegg 2024. The international manufacturer’s construction equipment branch picked up the prize on the show’s final day, with the stand coming out on top in several criteria, including operation and personnel, creativity, lighting, and contents.

Vei og Anlegg, which hosted its 18^th annual edition in Norway, is Scandinavia's largest fair dedicated to road and construction equipment, and welcomed nearly 200 exhibitors - among them some of the biggest players in the industry, including Volvo, Liebherr and Sandvik.