ULEMCo is tackling one of the biggest challenges in decarbonizing construction—providing efficient hydrogen refueling solutions for off-road and infrastructure-scarce environments—at a time when the sector accounts for nearly 39% of global carbon emissions.
Announced ahead of its public debut at the HEA 2025 Annual Conference in London, HyTANKa® offers a mobile, self-contained hydrogen delivery and refueling platform designed to replicate the role of the diesel bowser. Its purpose is straightforward: bring hydrogen to the machine, not the other way around.
Hydrogen has been gaining traction in construction, particularly for dual-fuel excavators, fuel cell generators, and full-combustion prototypes, but its deployment has hit a predictable bottleneck—refueling. Traditional hydrogen distribution models rely on fixed filling stations, which are often impractical or unavailable at early-stage construction sites, especially in remote or temporary locations.
HyTANKa® aims to close this logistical gap. Its two-way booster system allows for both high-pressure hydrogen delivery (up to 350 bar) and refueling from lower-pressure sources such as cylinder pallets or on-site bulk tanks. This makes the system agnostic to upstream infrastructure while supporting a consistent downstream fuel supply.
Critically, the unit is road legal under ADR regulations, enabling safe transport across public roads and directly to hydrogen generation sites or end-use locations. Its flexibility in serving dispersed or rotating construction zones mimics the modularity that diesel logistics have offered for decades.
ULEMCo has also opted to power HyTANKa® itself with a hydrogen dual-fuel engine, aligning the unit’s operational footprint with the decarbonization goals it’s designed to support. That detail is more than symbolic—it ensures that the upstream logistics of hydrogen delivery don’t undercut the downstream emissions savings at the point of use.
ULEMCo’s claims aren’t based solely on lab validation. HyTANKa® has already been deployed in the Element 1 demonstration project, backed by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). There, it was used to refuel 20-tonne hydrogen dual-fuel excavators, validating both its functional resilience and fueling speed.
According to ULEMCo, the platform can refuel multiple machines per day, with each fuelling cycle completed in a matter of minutes—minimizing operational downtime and addressing one of the major concerns for site managers and fleet operators.
Despite its strengths, the HyTANKa® highlights broader complexities in hydrogen’s role within the construction sector. While mobile delivery can help overcome infrastructure inertia, the cost, availability, and scalability of hydrogen supply chains remain a barrier—especially as project timelines and profit margins remain tight across the sector.
Moreover, HyTANKa® operates in a landscape where hydrogen technology adoption is still cautious. Unlike fleet-heavy sectors such as transport or shipping, construction involves a broad mix of OEMs, varying duty cycles, and unique job site requirements that challenge one-size-fits-all solutions.
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