TECO 2030 and infrastructure contractor Implenia Norway have been granted funding by the Norwegian state enterprise Enova to jointly develop and pilot hydrogen-powered solutions that will eliminate emissions at construction sites.

The support granted by Enova amounts to NOK 15.6 million and will be provided over a period of 2.5 years, from September 2021 until the end of December 2023.

“The construction of roads, tunnels, bridges and other transport infrastructure has until now largely relied on diesel as an energy source. By using hydrogen-based fuel cells instead of diesel generators, construction sites can eliminate their emissions and become more climate-friendly,” Tore Enger, CEO of TECO 2030 ASATore said.

Hydrogen-powered construction solutions

TECO 2030 and Implenia Norway announced in April that they will jointly develop and pilot hydrogen-powered construction solutions. The cooperation covers a period of five years and includes three initial steps, including project financing, product development and commercialization & operation.

As part of the project, TECO 2030 will develop a fuel cell generator with a power production capacity of 0.8 MW, which can replace diesel generators on construction sites. The delivery of the fuel cell generator is planned for January 2023. Implenia Norway will support TECO 2030 with its construction experience and knowledge and will pilot the fuel cell generator on its construction sites.

Hydrogen fuel cells are the engines of tomorrow and convert hydrogen into electricity while emitting nothing but water vapor and warm air.

By switching to hydrogen fuel cells, applications that currently get their energy from diesel engines or diesel generators can use climate-friendly hydrogen instead of fossil fuels and become completely emissions-free. Furthermore, hydrogen fuel cells do not require a grid connection and will be just as mobile and flexible as a traditional diesel generator.

“This project will bring forward and demonstrate new and innovative technology that contributes to the realization of emission-free building and construction sites,” said Tonje Foss, Vice President of Corporate Strategies at Enova.