JCB Unveils Hydrogen-Powered Backhoe Loader, Terms Hydrogen A Big Opportunity

New Delhi, Dec 4: Construction equipment major JCB on Monday termed hydrogen-powered construction equipment a very big opportunity with the gradual scaling up of the supporting infrastructure.

Scaling Up Model Range Not a Challenge

The company, which on Monday unveiled a backhoe loader powered by a hydrogen combustion engine, said it can scale up the model range as per the market demand.

Its only a matter of time before hydrogen becomes readily available in India for a variety of applications, JCB India CEO and Managing Director Deepak Shetty told reporters here.

Hydrogen is a very big opportunity and scaling up the model range is not a challenge, he noted.

Hydrogen Combustion Technology Well-Developed

Shetty said the companys hydrogen combustion technology is already well-developed and there are many machines which are currently being tested.

A team of 150 JCB engineers is working on the initiative to develop hydrogen combustion engines – and more than 75 prototypes have already been manufactured at JCBs UK engine plant.

India Has a Real Opportunity

JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said India has a real opportunity to put hydrogen at the very centre of its net-zero future.

It is a technology which is cost effective, robust, reliable and well known not just in the construction sector, but across the whole world, he added.

Double Digit Sales Growth Expected

When asked about business outlook for next year, Shetty said, It should be a double digit sales growth.

JCB India is looking to close the current calendar year with around 20 per cent growth over 2022, he added.

JCB is a leading manufacturer of construction equipment, and it is clear that the company is taking hydrogen-powered equipment very seriously. The company has already invested heavily in this technology, and it is confident that it will be a major player in the hydrogen-powered construction equipment market.