Zepp.solutions, a Dutch supplier, is using its fuel cell systems in the construction machinery industry for the first time by converting two Liebherr excavators from diesel to hydrogen power.
The two 916 Litronic excavators, which were converted under the direction of Terberg Techniek, have both the fuel cell system and the hydrogen storage units from zepp.solutions installed.
The FC system used is the same as the one used in a H2 water taxi that was put into operation in Rotterdam last year. The excavators belong to the Dutch construction company Jos Scholman and were tested for six months after their conversion, during which they were found to be reliable and performed as expected. No further technical details were provided.
“We are thrilled to see our fuel cell systems being used in the conversion of these Liebherr excavators, and to play a role in helping the construction equipment sector reduce its carbon emissions,” commented Kevin Schreiber, co-founder of zepp.solutions. “At zepp.solutions, we are committed to providing innovative, reliable, and cost-effective fuel cell technology to a wide range of industries, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Terberg Techniek on future projects.”
Zepp.solutions claims that the Y50 fuel cell system is compact and highly integrated, featuring all necessary components, subsystems, and control software for efficiently and stably converting hydrogen gas into electric power. The system has previously been successfully used in the material handling and marine sectors by both original equipment manufacturers and converters.