Demonstrating an innovative hybrid hydrogen and electric powertrain with a novel metal hydride based thermal management system for NRMM.

A construction digger or a port crane could run on hydrogen without overheating, thanks to a new system that captures waste heat to release stored fuel. This project tackles a practical bottleneck in cleaning up non-road mobile machinery (NRMM)—the diesel engines powering excavators, tractors, and generators. Current zero-emission powertrains struggle with thermal management: batteries overheat under heavy loads, and metal-hydride hydrogen storage needs heat to release gas. The consortium’s innovation uses waste heat from the battery and fuel cell to trigger that release, solving both problems at once. If the prototype works, it could let heavy machinery swap diesel for hydrogen without bulky cooling systems or energy losses. That would cut emissions from a sector that rarely gets attention—NRMM accounts for a significant share of urban air pollution. The project is applied engineering, not fundamental science: it builds and demonstrates a specific hybrid powertrain, then explores commercial routes with industry partners. Success means a cleaner, quieter building site or farm, not a new physics discovery.