Hydrogen machinery now permitted on UK roads

The minister for the future of roads, Lilian Greenwood MP, signed a statutory instrument that allowed the use of hydrogen-fuelled agricultural and construction machinery on public roads from 29 April.

The document was signed earlier this month to allow for an amendment to the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 to enable the road use of hydrogen-fuelled non-road machinery. Other vehicles that use a hydrogen fuel source – such as cars, buses and trucks – were already permitted on UK roads.

Ms Greenwood commented: ‘Today shows once again we are on the side of British business, as we now allow hydrogen-powered diggers and tractors to be legally driven on UK roads for the first time. We’re supporting the UK's Plan for Change by working closely with brilliant British companies like JCB to harness the opportunities of the net zero transition, driving innovation and creating jobs to put money in the pockets of hardworking people and secure our future.’

The news was welcomed by JCB chairman, Anthony Bamford, who started a £100m project to create a hydrogen combustion engine to power JCB’s machines. In celebration of the new legislation, a JCB digger was driven through central London and visited the minister at the Department for Transport, along with JCB's Tim Burnhope.

Lord Bamford said: ‘We are delighted that the Government has now endorsed the use of hydrogen in machinery. There has been a lot of work to get to this point. It is truly a historic day for JCB and a milestone moment for the use of hydrogen as a zero-carbon fuel in the construction and agricultural machinery industries. We now have the legislation that allows hydrogen-powered machines to drive on the road between sites and between farms.’

Images provided by JCB