Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection provides funding totaling €5.1 MM. The development goal is H₂-based powertrain concepts for construction and agricultural applications. To decarbonize the transport sector, heavy commercial vehicles and non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) are also increasingly coming to the fore.

Vehicle and engine manufacturers, suppliers and science have therefore joined forces in the "PoWer" project to comprehensively investigate the cross-application use of H₂ engine powertrain concepts for construction and agricultural applications. The project is being led by MAHLE, with DEUTZ, KIT, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Purem, Claas, Braunschweig University of Technology, Liebherr, Nagel, Umicore, NGK and bp also involved in the project. The project is scheduled to run for three years and is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection with €5.1 MM and supported by TÜV Rheinland.

H₂ engines offer many advantages due to their inherent properties such as efficiency, robustness and low raw emissions, which make them particularly suitable for applications in construction and agricultural machinery.

Off-road applications are demonstrated and analyzed in vehicle concept studies and systemic fleet and infrastructure studies. In addition, exhaust aftertreatment concepts are developed and extensively tested on the test bench. With the investigation of the influence of H₂ on materials and the friction and wear characteristics as well as the qualification of these in engine runs, all the fundamentals are being developed that are essential for achieving the extreme robustness requirements, taking into account future NRMM emission guidelines.

The Institute of Vehicle Concepts at the German Aerospace Centre is working on the question of how H₂ supply and refueling options for off-road applications can be designed and operated economically.