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BAM welcomes hydrogen JCB loadall after site trial
Cristina Lago Deputy Editor
The JCB hydrogen loadall on test in Digbeth, Birmingham (Image: JCB)
BAM Construction has welcomed JCB’s hydrogen-powered loadall telescopic handler after testing the machine on a major Midlands regeneration project.
The company has been trialling the first JCB 540-180H loadall on the Tea Factory regeneration project in Digbeth, Birmingham.
JCB said the machine has a zero-carbon emission driveline with the same power and torque characteristics as the conventional diesel-powered model.
It is powered by a hydrogen combustion engine developed over three years by JCB at its plant in Derbyshire. JCB said it has more than 50,000 accumulated hours of testing on its sites.
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Colin Evison, BAM’s innovation technical lead, said: “We’re starting to explore the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel. It was important to get the hydrogen fuel machine on a real construction site. We’ve seen it in test environments, and we know that technically it does work, but putting it to the test on a real site makes a real difference.
“We’ve noticed no difference in the way the machine operates. We have to refuel the machine in a different way, but it’s a simple and straightforward process.”
Maggie Hall, BAM’s environmental sustainability manager, added: “Sustainability is one of our firm’s core values and we have set ambitious net-zero targets. One of those targets is to halve our Scope 3 emissions, compared to our 2019 levels.
“Scope 3 emissions are the ones that we can influence, but we can’t directly control. A significant part of our Scope 3 emissions is associated with our supply chain, so it’s crucial that we work with the supply chain to reduce emissions.”
The January/February 2026 issue of Construction Management magazine is now available to read in digital format.
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