Hydrogen truck engine project fires up in Northampton

A hydrogen tube trailer arrives at Mahle Powertrain

The testing phase of a government-funded project that will drive hydrogen fuel use in existing heavy-duty truck engines has begun.

Project Cavendish, a £9.8m government-funded programme facilitated by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), will deliver fast-to-market solutions and a clear upgrade path to enable hydrogen combustion using current platforms and infrastructure, accelerating the decarbonisation of the haulage sector.

Mahle Powertrain’s flexible testing facility in Northampton, combined with the company’s experience with alternative fuels such as hydrogen and methanol, is crucial to the project.

Jonathan Hall, Mahle Powertrain’s head of research and advanced engineering said: “Hydrogen combustion engines are well-suited to heavy-duty, long-distance applications that are hard to electrify. Its use allows industry to take advantage of years of development and investment as a means to accelerate the transition towards net zero.

“Our facilities have been designed for this type of advanced work with a dedicated hydrogen supply, inhouse-developed monitoring and safety systems, and high-torque dynamometers that are ideally suited to the testing and calibration phase of this project.”

The EU’s recently revised CO2 standards for heavy-duty vehicles, as part of the EU’s “Fit for 55” legislative package, require a 45 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030, rising to 65 per cent by 2035 and 90 per cent by 2040.

Meeting this accelerated timetable, which now also applies to a broader range of vehicles, represents a significant challenge.

In response to this legislation, the UK government has committed £8.3bn in Great British Energy to invest in the hydrogen industry and up to £21.7bn for the carbon capture industry to pave the way for large-scale infrastructure projects. The technology will complement fuel cell electric vehicles in driving a common requirement for hydrogen infrastructure that will be used for many decades. The potential for hydrogen use extends beyond highway transport into rail, aviation and maritime applications.

Project Cavendish draws on the experience of a number of partners including Phinia, Borg-Warner, Cambustion, Hartridge and Mahle Powertrain to develop novel fuel-injection systems and supporting turbocharging technology that can be ready for high-volume production in time to meet EUVII/US27 legislation.

Mahle Powertrain’s recently expanded Northampton facility has the capacity to hold two tube-trailers on-site with rapid switch-over between them to ensure a near-continuous supply of hydrogen. Upgraded engine dynamometers with a 900 kilowatts (kW) / 4,000 Newton meter (Nm) nominal capacity can support key heavy-duty demands, while inhouse-designed control systems and software ensure safety.