Heavy Equipment

Strabag Pilots the World’s First Hydrogen Wheel Loader

Strabag is Liebherr’s first customer to test the L 566 H hydrogen wheel loader.

Updated on

October 25, 2024

Liebherr L 566 H wheel loader — The L 566 H loader will be trialled at Kanzelstein Quarry, Austria. (Photo: Liebherr)

Austrian contractor Strabag and German-Swiss equipment giant Liebherr have deployed the world’s first hydrogen-powered wheel loader for testing — a major step in sustainability.

As part of the partnership, Liebherr has provided Strabag with the L 566 H prototype wheel loader for use at Kanzelstein Quarry in Gratkorn, Austria, over a two-year testing period.

Energie Steiermark is developing a dedicated hydrogen refuelling station on site.

“For the next two years, Strabag will test the L 566 H prototype daily. A hydrogen filling station is being built to refuel the wheel loader directly at the quarry. The energy supplier Energie Steiermark will provide the green hydrogen required for this,” Liebherr said.

The L 566 H is the world’s first large wheel loader with a hydrogen engine.

According to the manufacturer, the wheel loader can save up to 100 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year—the amount released by burning 37,500 litres of diesel—making it perfect for companies focused on sustainability.

“We want to be climate neutral by 2040. The only way to achieve this is by consistently and comprehensively saving carbon dioxide, for example, in the operation of construction machinery,” Strabag chief executive Klemens Haselsteiner said during the trial launch.

According to Herbert Pfab, Liebherr’s technical director, hydrogen will allow large vehicles that were “difficult to electrify due to their high energy demand” to be operated cleanly.

“The technology also enables large vehicles that are difficult to electrify due to their high energy demand to be operated without carbon dioxide,” he explained.

The L 566 H uses a hydrogen engine manufactured by Liebherr’s components division at their engine plant in Bulle, Switzerland. These engines are expected to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions and minimal nitrogen oxides while providing excellent efficiency.

The initiative has garnered interest from officials, with Austria’s environment minister, Leonore Gewessler, praising Liebherr’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gases.

“I am pleased to see innovative companies pushing ahead with pilot projects, especially in forms of mobility that are difficult to electrify, such as those in construction,” she said.

With the pilot project, Liebherr and Strabag will be demonstrating how emissions can be reduced in a sector that is challenging to decarbonise using alternative fuels.