SANY Heavy Industry – China’s largest and the world’s fifth largest engineering machinery manufacturer -have rolled out two examples of construction vehicles; a dump truck and a mixer truck, both of which are equipped with hydrogen fuel cell technology. The latter is the first hydrogen-powered mixer truck in the world.
According to the R&D engineer of this project, hydrogen fuel cell construction vehicles have five important advantages. Among them, the realization of “zero pollution” with only water and heat being discharged is a leap toward the green future of the industry.
China is focused on carbon neutrality by 2060. This goal requires concrete steps to be taken, especially by manufacturers.
Apart from “zero pollution”, the new fuel cell-powered construction vehicles also outperform traditional counterparts in these additional four areas:
- Long battery life: A set of hydrogen cylinders with a combined capacity of 1 680 litres ensures a driving distance of more than 500 km, saving drivers from “mileage anxiety”.
- More power: With a large torque drive motor and an AMT gearbox, the high-power fuel cell stack features an energy conversion rate of over 50%. The vehicle demonstrates enhanced acceleration rate and climbing capacity.
- Enhanced weather adaptability: The integrated heat management system performs automatic heating and cooling in hot and cold weather conditions to maintain optimal performance.
- Extra safety considerations: Functions such as high heat protection, overcurrent protection, a low pressure alarm, and leakage detection and control in the hydrogen supply system guarantee a worry-free driving experience.
Li Tanbo, Deputy General Manager of SANY’s Crane Business Unit, addressed in the rollout ceremony that SANY has entered a new phase in which the development of construction machinery is trending towards the application of green energy and green, intelligent equipment technologies. SANY plans to become the largest comprehensive hydrogen fuel solution provider and the number one electric construction vehicle manufacturer in China within five years.
