ULEMCo launches ‘HyConstruct’ to cut carbon on construction sites
Liverpool hydrogen boffins ULEMCo have kicked off a new project called HyConstruct, aimed at cutting emissions from some of the dirtiest machines on the planet – construction plant.
The year-long collaboration, funded through the Advanced Propulsion Centre’s ARMD4 programme, brings together GeoPura, Plantforce, BAM, and the Building Research Establishment (BRE).
Squeezing more diesel out of construction
The group will develop a new control system for ULEMCo’s hydrogen dual-fuel engines that lets them run on a higher share of hydrogen, squeezing out more diesel and slashing site emissions in the process.
It follows the Element1 project, which proved that hydrogen dual-fuel engines could work in the real world. Excavators running on hydrogen were deployed on live sites, with on-site hydrogen generation and refuelling already demonstrated.
Now the team’s adding intelligence by the way of advanced control algorithms and AI. HyConstruct aims to make the system smarter about how and when it uses hydrogen – pushing substitution rates higher without sacrificing performance or uptime.
Trials will take place on a working BAM construction site, using upgraded Kobelco excavators and, for the first time, a heavy-duty articulated dump truck supplied by Plantforce.
Low carbon hydrogen
GeoPura will supply low-carbon hydrogen and off-grid refuelling via its HPU units, while BRE will handle data collection and knowledge sharing across the industry.
“Decarbonising construction plant is essential to support the UK’s net-zero goals,” said Amanda Lyne, Managing Director of ULEMCo. “Converting existing equipment to run on clean hydrogen points the way to saving the carbon from these machines now, as well as saving the embedded emissions from the actual construction phase itself.”
GeoPura’s Alistair Gemmel added: “HyConstruct is about showing that zero-carbon fuels can power heavy machinery without disrupting productivity.”
The upgraded kit will go on display at Cenex Expo 2026, where ULEMCo says it’ll demonstrate real-world progress on site-ready hydrogen machinery.
The company has also just sold its first HyTANKa® mobile hydrogen bowser – the kind of equipment that’ll make on-site refuelling far easier as hydrogen construction trials expand.
