UK-based hydrogen combustion technology company Ulemco announced it will demonstrate a truck with a combustion engine powered entirely from zero carbon hydrogen fuel this year. A converted Volvo FH16 vehicle will use what is believed to be the first zero emission combustion engine anywhere in the world. The 100% hydrogen combustion truck with mega low emissions (MLE) is designed to provide a demonstration of how hydrogen fuel can be deployed to decarbonise heavy goods vehicles efficiently and cost effectively.
Ulemco converts vehicles from diesel to hydrogen dual-fuel, and they are in active service around the UK. The demonstration vehicle will be the first all-hydrogen example, will have at least 300HP, and with 17kg of hydrogen on board, a range of just less than 300 km unloaded is expected. As hydrogen storage is the only additional hardware, a smaller reduction in payload is experienced than with other low emission approaches.
The MLE truck uses hydrogen to power the vehicle using a combustion engine rather than via fuel cells and an electric motor. According to Ulemco, there will be none of the usual emissions from hydrocarbons that impact on air quality, such as unburnt fuel, particulates and carbon monoxide, the NOx levels will be immeasurably low.
Amanda Lyne, CEO, Ulemco, said: “We are hugely excited about the potential for hydrogen fuel as a route to faster achievement of zero carbon emission in commercial vehicles. With this MLE demonstrator, co-funded by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, we are showing that 100% hydrogen fuel in combustion engines is a practical and cost effective option. It sits well alongside the hydrogen dual-fuel conversions that we have already implemented commercially.”
