Liebherr has unveiled the world’s first giant wheel loader with a hydrogen combustion engine, alongside a brand new hydrogen filling station, the primary in its area, at a commerce occasion on the Liebherr plant in Bischofshofen, Salzburg, Austria.
The occasion included a sequence of talks on the subject of different drives. Nonetheless, the main focus was on a machine present, the place the hydrogen wheel loader was demonstrated for the primary time.
On the identical time the primary hydrogen filling station within the state of Salzburg was inaugurated, representing an vital milestone in using hydrogen as a sustainable vitality supply.
“To make progress in hydrogen analysis, we have to have entry to hydrogen. We constructed this filling station to additional advance our objectives for decarbonising building equipment,” says Dr.-Ing. Herbert Pfab, chief technical officer of Liebherr Bischofshofen.
Prototype L 566 H wheel loader
The L 566 H from Liebherr is the world’s first prototype giant wheel loader with a hydrogen engine. Following in depth research, this groundbreaking expertise was recognized because the optimum resolution for working giant autos which are tough to affect with out CO2 emissions.
For smaller autos as much as about 15 tons, battery-electric options are sometimes appropriate. Nonetheless, the state of affairs is totally different with bigger machines with an working weight of as much as 40 tons and excessive vitality necessities. Hydrogen reciprocating piston engines show to be superb on this case.
These hydrogen engines are manufactured on the engine plant of Liebherr’s Parts product phase in Bulle (Switzerland). They permit not solely zero emissions of greenhouse gases and nearly no nitrogen oxides, however are additionally extremely environment friendly. One other benefit is that the interfaces are similar to these of a diesel engine – thermally and mechanically. This represents a major step ahead within the growth of sustainable large-scale equipment.
One other spotlight of the present was a MAN truck, additionally with a hydrogen engine, displaying hydrogen expertise is just not solely possible in wheel loaders, however is already utilized in building website vehicles.
Salzburg’s first hydrogen filling station
As a part of the event of the hydrogen wheel loader, Liebherr Bischofshofen opened its personal hydrogen filling station – the primary of its form in your entire state of Salzburg.
An vital strategic companion on this mission is Maximator Hydrogen, which isn’t solely the producer of the newly opened filling station, but in addition a analysis companion of Liebherr.
Collectively, they’re engaged on cell filling amenities in order that equipment might be refuelled immediately on the building websites. That is notably vital for distant building websites and machines that aren’t very cell.
One other companion, MPREIS, which ensures the availability of inexperienced hydrogen. That is vital as a result of solely by means of emission-free manufacturing – utilizing wind, hydroelectric or photo voltaic vitality – can hydrogen play a key position as a sustainable and climate-friendly vitality supply.
