Liebherr has partnered with construction technology company STRABAG to conduct the first test of its L 566 H hydrogen wheel loader.
At the Kanzelstein quarry in Austria, STRABAG is testing Liebherr’s large hydrogen-powered wheel loader over a two-year period.
The prototype machine will be used on site in daily operations during the trial.
As well, a green hydrogen filling station is being built to refuel the wheel loader directly at the quarry.
During a tour of the machine and quarry, Leonore Gewessler, Austria’s Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, praised Liebherr’s commitment to reducing greenhouse and other harmful gases and its cooperation with STRABAG on testing hydrogen technology.
“I am pleased to see innovative companies pushing ahead with pilot projects, especially in forms of mobility that are difficult to electrify, such as those in the construction sector,” Gewessler said.
The large wheel loader with a hydrogen engine is expected to save up to 100 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, equalling the consumption of about 37,500 litres of diesel.
“We want to be climate neutral by 2040. The only way to achieve this is by consistently and comprehensively saving CO2, for example, in the operation of construction machinery,” said STRABAG CEO Klemens Haselsteiner.
RELATED: Liebherr develops the first hydrogen-powered large wheel loader
The L 566 H from Liebherr is the world’s first prototype large wheel loader with a hydrogen engine.
“The technology also enables large vehicles that are difficult to electrify due to their high energy demand to be operated without CO2,” said Dr.-Ing. Herbert Pfab, Technical Director of Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH.
The hydrogen engine powering the loader is manufactured by the Liebherr components division’s own engine plant in Bulle, Switzerland. These engines will not only make it possible to emit zero greenhouse gases and almost no nitrogen oxides but will also offer excellent efficiency.
With the pilot project, Liebherr and STRABAG are demonstrating how emissions can be reduced in a sector that is difficult to decarbonize by means of alternative fuels.
Climate-neutral hydrogen produced with wind and water power or solar energy can be a key enabler for achieving emissions neutrality goals.
“Green hydrogen is an indispensable element of our future energy. As an important and valuable energy source, it helps replace fossil natural gas, especially in industry,” Gewessler said.
