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Balfour Beatty fuels its decarbonization effort by retrofitting heavy vehicles with a hybrid H2 system
Balfour Beatty’s M77 H2 project is now live, marking a major step towards establishing Scotland’s first construction H2 hub, where Balfour Beatty will demonstrate the viability of H2 technology for heavy plant and equipment, sharing our findings and best practices with the wider industry to promote decarbonization.
This ambitious project is the result of over two years of collaboration with ULEMCo, Logan Energy, and PlusZero Power, supported by both internal funding and £243,000 from the Scottish Government.
The M77 H2 project is a project to retrofit heavy vehicles with a hybrid H2 system, aiming to achieve a 30% reduction in carbon emissions.
They have successfully retrofitted two salt spreader HGVs and one impact protection vehicle (IPV) and have set up green H2 supply, onsite storage, and refueling infrastructure, and are now analyzing road test data to identify further improvements. The spreaders are showing around a 26% carbon reduction during road tests, whilst the IPV is also running with reduced emissions, albeit at a slightly lower rate.
One of the main lessons learned was that retrofitting existing vehicles with H2 technology is straightforward and effective, providing significant carbon savings. Vehicles can switch to diesel if H2 is unavailable, reducing risks associated with H2 supply. Minimal changes are needed for vehicle operation; drivers only require familiarization with the refueling process.
The main challenge they encountered is the cost to retrofit and the current limited availability of H2 refuellers and H2 gas. The H2 supply landscape in Scotland is expected to improve from 2026, enhancing accessibility.
Throughout this journey, collaboration with partners like Aberdeen City Council and First Bus Aberdeen have been invaluable, sharing insights from their H2 refueling experiences. Navigating the evolving H2 technology market requires flexibility and patience. Information sharing under non-disclosure agreements and aligning safety systems between H2 and construction industries were essential yet time-consuming steps.
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