Hydrogen fuel-cell tractor concept: Could the future of agriculture be powered by hydrogen?

STEYR and TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology) have teamed up to create the FCTRAC – a hydrogen-powered tractor that could revolutionise green agriculture.

Steyr’s parent company CNH also owns Case and New Holland – and the FCTRAC, based on a standard STEYR 4140 Expert CVT tractor, is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell unit.

Instead of guzzling diesel, it sips hydrogen and emits nothing but water vapour. It has zero carbon emissions – only watering the crops as it drives.

This project is developed as part of an Austrian national research project funded by the Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and led by the Institute of Powertrains and Automotive Technology (IFA) at TU Wien.

The FCTRAC replaces the traditional diesel engine with a hydrogen fuel cell that generates electricity, stored in a 14 kWh high-voltage battery. 

This system provides the same 95 kW (130 bhp) power output as its diesel counterpart, making it just as capable of handling demanding agricultural tasks.

The hydrogen is stored in compressed tanks, and the fuel cell continuously recharges the battery, ensuring uninterrupted power supply.

BioH2Module – decentralised farm fuel

The project also features a BioH2Module, a green hydrogen production unit. This nifty device converts biogenic raw materials into hydrogen.

For every 15-16 kg of dry biomass, you get hydrogen equivalent to around 3.5 litres of diesel. 

What that means is it’s about creating a circular economy right on the farm.

“The STEYR FCTRAC attracted considerable attention recently at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, venue for the Austrian State Prize for Technology awards, for which it was nominated in the ‘Mobility Technologies category’, a section which honours groundbreaking Austrian technical innovations,” says Marco Lombardi, Head of Case IH and STEYR brands EMEA.

“The category focuses on the research and development of sustainable, climate-neutral and intelligent mobility technologies. 

“We were delighted to play a crucial role, together with TU Wien, in developing the FCTRAC, and it was an honour to participate in the ceremony. 

“This tractor not only embodies the sustainable future our industry strives for, but also solidifies CNH’s position as a leader in alternative fuel innovations. 

“We are looking forward to further working on this very exciting project,” he concluded.