Hitachi Energy reveals hydrogen-powered site solution that cuts CO2 emissions during construction

Hitachi Energy has demonstrated a commercially viable route to fossil‑free construction by operating a UK grid‑connection worksite for four weeks using a hydrogen fuelled generator and battery storage instead of diesel, the company said.

According to Hitachi Energy, the temporary power system supplied its National Grid 400 kilovolt connection project at Rugeley, Staffordshire, with a HyFlex® hydrogen generator fed by green hydrogen from Air Products together with a battery energy storage system (BESS). Based on an estimated site electricity demand of as much as 5.2 megawatt‑hours, the company says the deployment avoided roughly five tonnes of CO2 over the month‑long period compared with conventional diesel generators.

The trial is presented as a demonstration of technology readiness for real‑world construction applications. Hitachi Energy described HyFlex® as an enabling element of flexible, hybrid energy hubs that can provide low‑emission, low‑noise and low‑pollutant power for sites that lack grid access or seek to eliminate on‑site diesel use. The company points to earlier HyFlex® pilots in the Netherlands and across Europe , including projects with Air Products, Volvo, Kanonaden, the Port of Gothenburg and Dura Vermeer , that paired the generator with electric construction equipment and shore‑power applications. Industry recognition for the technology includes awards such as the Swedish Energy Prize – Jury’s Choice and a ports innovation prize at the Electric & Hybrid Marine Awards, Hitachi Energy noted.

The Rugeley demonstration coincides with a wider policy push to reduce diesel on building sites. According to the Construction Leadership Council’s Zero Diesel Sites Route Map, the UK aims to cut diesel use on construction sites by about 78 percent by 2035, driving demand for alternatives that combine reliability with lower lifecycle emissions. For project owners and contractors focused on industrial decarbonisation, hybrid hydrogen‑plus‑BESS systems offer an option to meet tightening site emissions requirements while preserving operational flexibility.

Hitachi Energy framed the test as company‑funded and aligned with its net‑zero by 2050 commitment. The firm is simultaneously expanding its UK footprint: it relocated its UK headquarters to Birmingham in 2024, plans to open an £18 million Operational Campus in Staffordshire in 2026 and expects to scale its UK workforce to more than 1,000 employees by 2027, according to its corporate materials. Those local investments aim to support grid modernisation projects and the roll‑out of low‑carbon transmission and site‑power solutions.

For contractors and site operators weighing pathways away from diesel, the Rugeley case supplies operational data on emissions avoided and on system integration with BESS and electrified plant. Hitachi Energy highlights additional services , from mobile storage and charging infrastructure to energy management software , intended to make hybrid hubs economically practicable at scale. Whether hydrogen‑based systems achieve widespread uptake will depend on factors beyond technical performance: hydrogen availability and cost, refuelling logistics, comparative capital and operating costs versus diesel and battery‑only alternatives, and evolving regulatory incentives and procurement rules.

Speaking to the broader sector, proponents argue hydrogen offers particular value where long‑duration or high‑power temporary supply is needed or where rapid refuelling and minimal acoustic or pollutant emissions are required. Critics point to the still‑limited supply of green hydrogen and the need to assess full lifecycle emissions and costs against all‑electric and biofuel options. The Rugeley demonstration contributes empirical evidence to that debate and illustrates how hybrid architectures can be trialled on live construction programmes.

For industrial decarbonisation professionals, the deployment underscores two practical takeaways: modular hydrogen generators integrated with battery storage can remove on‑site tailpipe emissions for short‑term projects, and corporate and local infrastructure investments , such as Hitachi Energy’s planned campus and regional engineering capacity , are increasingly being marshalled to accelerate deployment of low‑carbon site power solutions. The scale and pace of adoption, however, will hinge on hydrogen supply chains, unit economics and policy frameworks that make zero‑emission site power a commercially attractive alternative to diesel.