Cleaning up construction: the fuel cell alternative to diesel

Diesel generators are a widely relied upon power source on construction sites with reliable off-grid power essential to run on-site equipment and welfare facilities. However, they create pollution with extremely high carbon monoxide outputs. They’re also noisy, and a significant risk to worker health as well as the environment. The construction industry contributes around 15% of diesel emissions within London alone, according to the Centre for Low Emission Construction, and can be assumed to have similar impacts in other cities and growing urban areas.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) state that site workers exposed to loud noises for long periods of time must put measures in place to mitigate the risk on health. This could include selecting tools and equipment that are low noise instead of introducing shift and rotational work as this can result in minimising productivity and operational time. HSE has also highlighted that those exposed to diesel engine exhaust emissions in both the short and long-term are at risk of several ill-health effects including respiratory irritation and breathlessness. To minimise the risk on employee health, zero-emission solutions can be introduced to create a safer working environment without sacrificing power output, efficiency, equipment quality, or performance.

So what’s the solution?

Thankfully, there are now zero-emission alternatives to diesel generators: hydrogen fuel cells. The technology in hydrogen fuel cells works by generating electricity via a reaction between hydrogen supplied and oxygen in the air, with water vapour being the only emission. There’s also no combustion, therefore no greenhouse gases, and very low noise levels. Commercially available solutions for the construction sector already include welfare cabin power, lighting towers and backup power, with new options under development for compressors and construction equipment such as mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), which can be adopted across the entire construction industry.

As businesses focus on the reduction of their carbon footprints, there is a real demand to adopt zero-emission technologies without compromising reliability or power output. Hydrogen fuel cells operate in a similar manner to current diesel solutions making their adoption relatively simple. They require less servicing and allow operators to maintain productivity whilst protecting the health and safety of site workers.

Compared to batteries, hydrogen fuel cells offer significantly improved runtime for construction equipment and vehicles. Fuel cell-powered construction equipment can be safely refuelled in just a few minutes, whilst battery recharging requires significant downtime with diesel carrying a high risk of spillage and contamination.

The switch to fuel cells and cleaner power has minimal disruption to current onsite operations as the technology can be combined with battery power to provide a reliable solution. Recent advancements in hydrogen fuel cells mean that the power demands of construction equipment and vehicles can be met without the need for fundamental changes to the way operators use equipment compared to the conventional diesel-powered plant. By integrating fuel cells into existing onsite battery-powered plants and equipment, the switch from diesel-and-battery to fuel cell-and-battery hybrids can be seamless.

Hydrogen fuel cell-powered construction equipment generates zero tailpipe emissions and a very low carbon footprint overall. With net zero sitting at the forefront, demand for renewable energy sources is growing and it is, therefore, a pivotal time for many industries, the entire construction sector included, to embrace clean power.