Komatsu

Hydrogen as an Off-Grid Charging Solution: Komatsu Trial

In the drive toward net-zero construction sites, reducing emissions from heavy mobile equipment is essential. Elemental Energy recently partnered with Komatsu to demonstrate how green hydrogen can support this transition, participating in a proof-of-concept (POC) trial, exploring the potential of green hydrogen technology as an off-grid charging solution for their new battery electric PC210LCE Excavator.

Hosted at Komatsu UK’s site in Birtley, the trial deployed Elemental Energy’s H₂IPO unit to deliver clean, off-grid power. The project generated valuable data on how hydrogen can decarbonise heavy industry—from charging high-demand electric equipment to enabling temporary, renewable microgrids for on-site power.

Delivered green hydrogen offers a practical alternative to fossil-fuel energy, avoiding the logistical challenges of transporting large external battery systems to remote, and often constrained, high-demand sites. With Protium Green’s pioneering Hydrogen-as-a-Service model now expanding access to green hydrogen across the UK, the pathway to cleaner construction power is becoming increasingly viable.

Project Insights‍

• The future of clean construction requires transitioning diesel-based equipment to electric alternatives.
• Hydrogen-powered on-site charging removes the limitations of sites with no or constrained grid capacity.
• The UK construction sector is accelerating efforts to eliminate diesel from sites entirely.
• At Elemental Energy, we believe hydrogen will play a leading role in delivering reliable, clean energy to support this shift.