Kier has agreed terms with AFC Energy for hydrogen to be delivered to site to fuel a 10kW AFC Power Tower generator, which will power the site huts.
An initial eight-week lease is expected to provide the basis for a longer-term collaboration, with the aim of delivering additional hydrogen fuel cell systems in 2023, AFC said.
Kier joins Keltbray in trialling AFC鈥檚 hybrid fuel cell (HFC) generator. [See our previous report here.]
Chris Lilley, Kier鈥檚 director of health, safety, wellbeing and sustainability, said: "This upcoming trial further demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and finding innovative solutions that will reduce our carbon footprint and help our clients and customers deliver against their targets too.鈥�
He added: 鈥淔ollowing on from the trial in the southwest, we will assess other sites that we can use the Power Tower on."
AFC Energy is a Surrey-based developer of alkaline fuel cells that use hydrogen for electricity production.
AFC Energy chief executive Adam Bond said: 鈥淐ontractors and plant hire businesses are under increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse emissions and improve air quality; we are confident that our hydrogen fuel cells will play an important role in delivering a net zero UK construction industry."
Mace also signed a deal with AFC Energy last year. It had hoped to have its first hydrogen generator on site in early 2022 but this did not happen. Mace opted instead to wait until AFC had its new Power Tower ready, the same product that Kier will be using. Details of a lease with Mace are expected from AFC in due course.
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