A JCB hydrogen-powered Loadall 540-180H telescopic handler has undergone one of the first on-site trials at a Vistry Group construction site in Kenilworth, in collaboration with Ardent Hire Solutions. The trial aimed to evaluate the machine’s real-world performance, demonstrating its ability to carry out standard construction tasks while offering a zero-emission alternative to diesel models.
The hydrogen Loadall was tested on essential site activities, including loading bricks and blocks onto scaffolding, lifting roof trusses, and handling roof tiles. According to Jeremy Fish, CEO of Ardent Hire Solutions, the machine’s performance highlights hydrogen’s potential role in construction:
“Housebuilders are under enormous pressure to reduce carbon emissions and this is a massive step towards achieving that. This is something that we have to work on together and in this instance, JCB has come up trumps. Hydrogen is the future.”
Performance & Operator Feedback
The trial confirmed that the hydrogen-powered Loadall delivers performance comparable to a traditional diesel model, with operators reporting a seamless experience.
Danny Drayton, Construction Manager, emphasised the machine’s central role on site:
“We use a JCB Loadall at the moment and we call them the heartbeat of the site. If the heartbeat stops, the site stops. So, it’s been normal operations for us, loading out bricks and blocks onto scaffolding, loading out roof trusses for truss lifts, loading up roof tiles, all of the normal operations. The feedback from our operator is that he loves it. It is very smooth and performs just like a diesel machine.”
Sustainability & Hydrogen Refuelling Benefits
Alex Roberts, Head of Sustainability at Vistry Group, reinforced the importance of hydrogen in achieving emissions reductions:
“Net zero is incredibly important to us at Vistry. We’ve set targets for emissions that we are in direct control of. On this site there is significant impact from diesel, so it’s really important that we have some solutions to help reduce emissions associated with plant, equipment and generators that we use on site.”
Hydrogen offers key advantages in construction environments where on-site electricity infrastructure is often limited, as Roberts explains:
“One of the advantages of using hydrogen to power machines on site is zero emissions from the tailpipe, but also the ability to refuel the telehandler and keep it running throughout the day, so that the machine can keep pace with the site. We can bring hydrogen to site to refuel the telehandler. Quite often when we start on site there isn’t any infrastructure like electricity, so recharging batteries can be really challenging.”
JCB’s Perspective on Hydrogen in Construction
The hydrogen-powered Loadall has been designed as a direct replacement for diesel models, maintaining the same levels of performance and productivity while eliminating tailpipe emissions.
Tim Burnhope, JCB Group Director – Special Projects, highlighted the significance of collaboration in hydrogen adoption:
“It’s a huge opportunity to work together on net zero solutions. We’ve been given a great insight into the machine’s operation. I think the feedback is that the machine is pretty much the same as today’s machine, we’re just putting a different fuel on board.”
“The great thing is that we are all now working together, the housebuilder, the rental company and the manufacturer, to see what works and what doesn’t. We’ve got time to improve, to develop, but if we all get together and say this is exactly what we need, we will be well on the way to finding a perfect solution for the industry.”
Burnhope also emphasised the importance of fast refuelling in construction environments:
“What we’ve established is the speed and pace of the machines on these building sites is really intense. They start very early and finish very late and barely stop during the day, covering good distances across the site and lifting all the way to roof height continually. Fast refuelling is key, because if the machine stops, all the trades stop, it stops the bricklayers, the roofers, the whole site draws to a halt. It’s important that we have continuous uptime, continuous machine availability.”
HYKIT: Enabling Hydrogen Infrastructure for Construction
While hydrogen-powered machinery like the JCB Loadall presents a viable zero-emission alternative, its success relies on the availability of refuelling infrastructure. This is where HYKIT plays a crucial role.
HYKIT, a joint venture between the net-zero investment fund HYCAP, the net-zero conglomerate HydraB Group, and construction machinery manufacturing titans JCB, is focused on developing hydrogen refuelling solutions for construction and heavy machinery.
Neil Tierney, formerly of NanoSun, leads HYKIT as CEO, bringing expertise and vision to the forefront of this new venture. Under his guidance, HYKIT is expected to become a pivotal player in the hydrogen industry, enabling broader adoption of hydrogen technologies across various sectors.
HYKIT will produce compressors, storage solutions, and mobile refuelling systems to enable acceleration of the use of hydrogen-powered equipment on-site. The venture works closely with JCB’s hydrogen engineering division to ensure that infrastructure solutions align with the needs of operators, construction firms, and equipment rental companies.
By addressing hydrogen availability and refuelling speed, HYKIT is helping to create a practical pathway for construction sites to transition away from diesel. As hydrogen-powered equipment becomes more widely available, infrastructure solutions like those developed by HYKIT will be essential in ensuring continuous uptime and operational efficiency across the industry.