Hydrogen Scotland member ULEMCo has made a significant advancement towards the decarbonization of construction operations with the launch of HyTANKa®, a mobile hydrogen supply and refuelling vehicle designed to tackle the challenges of energy delivery in off-road environments. HyTANKa® serves a similar purpose to traditional diesel bowsers, offering a safe, flexible, and self-contained solution for on-site refuelling of equipment.
Decarbonising the construction industry: The construction industry is recognised as one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonise, due mainly to the high energy demands of machinery, the requirement for rapid and continuous operation, and the frequent absence of a fixed energy supply during the early phases of site infrastructure development.
Hydrogen use in construction: While hydrogen-powered equipment, dual-fuel, full combustion and fuel cell, is gaining interest as a practical ultra-low-emission alternative to diesel, the absence of suitable on-site refuelling mechanisms is a significant technical challenge. “HyTANKa® provides the missing link between hydrogen production and point-of-use on active construction sites,” said Amanda Lyne, Managing Director of ULEMCo. “It is potentially a game-changer by enabling the same kind of operational flexibility and autonomy with hydrogen fuel that diesel has traditionally offered, but with a dramatic reduction in carbon emissions. It has been designed to accelerate the transition to cleaner energy in one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise. We believe that HyTANKa® represents a key step forward for using hydrogen in construction and other off-grid industrial sectors.”
HyTANKa® addresses this gap by enabling mobile, high-pressure hydrogen delivery directly to construction machinery in the field. The vehicle is designed to operate autonomously, and is equipped with a two-way booster system that allows for both the refuelling of hydrogen machines at pressures up to 350 bar, and the filling of its own tanks from lower-pressure sources, such as manifolded cylinder pallets or higher volume on-site storage. The integration of these features allows HyTANKa® to be independent of fixed power supplies or compression infrastructure, which is critical in the early phase of a site development or in remote construction environments.
Crucially, HyTANKa® is road legal under ADR regulations, allowing it to travel directly to hydrogen production facilities for filling and around the site, in the same way diesel bowsers are used today. This operational flexibility offers construction operators the ability to manage hydrogen logistics in a dynamic, site-responsive manner. In keeping with its decarbonisation purpose, the HyTANKa® platform is itself powered by a hydrogen dual-fuel engine, reducing the overall carbon footprint of fuel logistics and further aligning with the broader sustainability goals of modern construction projects.
The HyTANKa® has been successfully demonstrated in live construction environments as part of the Element 1 project, which was partially funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). During this project, it was used for on-site refuelling of 20-tonne dual-fuel hydrogen excavators. Real-world tests confirmed the vehicle’s ability to deliver fuel loads within minutes, ensuring uninterrupted machine operation. These tests also validated the platform’s suitability for routine use in demanding off-road conditions. With the capacity to refuel multiple machines each day and operate across dispersed or inaccessible locations, the HyTANKa® has proven capable of matching the service model of traditional diesel bowsers.
Read more about HyTANKa here: https://ulemco.com/hytanka-enables-hydrogen-refuelling-in-the-construction-sector/
