We use some essential cookies to make this website work.
We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.
We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.
You can change your cookie settings at any time.
Departments, agencies and public bodies
News stories, speeches, letters and notices
Detailed guidance, regulations and rules
Reports, analysis and official statistics
Consultations and strategy
Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports
Updated 31 May 2022
© Crown copyright 2022
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/red-diesel-replacement-competition/phase-1-red-diesel-replacement-competition-successful-projects
BEIS awarded £6.7 million in grant funding across 17 projects for Phase 1, with up to £460,000 per project.
The projects cover technologies within the 3 innovation lots at technology readiness level (TRL) 4 and above:
Project Adelante is applying Adelan’s microtubular solid oxide fuel cell (mSOFC) technology to a construction application using an electrified platform. This will validate the fuel flexibility of mSOFC with the potential to use green hydrogen when production is scaled in the future alongside Calor’s renewable hydrocarbons such as rDME and BioLPG.
Within the Gen-ZE project Bramble Energy will develop, test and trial a ruggedised, portable hydrogen fuel cell generator demonstrating a zero-emission solution to replace diesel generators targeted for the construction sector. Bramble’s printed circuit board fuel cell (PCBFC) technology offers cost advantages over conventional fuel cells, and the simplified, robust design using PCBs will be demonstrated to meet the construction sectors needs for zero-emission portable power generation.
HGE (Hybrid Gas Engine) is a project that will develop a multi-gas engine technology that enables the same engine to run on conventional gas fuels or hydrogen, or a mixture of gas fuels with no fundamental change to the engine. This enables a smooth transition to net zero power by enabling users to purchase a net zero compliant technology now yet operate it on conventional clean fuels whilst the hydrogen supply chain is developed.
This project looks to develop an alternative approach that overcomes issues with current methods of delivering high pressure hydrogen for storage, transportation and dispensing at fuelling stations with a new system and process. Existing methods employ large gaseous compressors with intercoolers to deliver hydrogen gas. These methods are relatively inefficient, expensive to manufacture and display various operational issues in use, such as overheating and high fuelling times.
The project is to determine the feasibility of developing new capabilities and technologies to combine with known recirculating gas reactor test technology to yield a production machine and process that can produce an easily transportable green Ediesel. This new process will utilise green hydrogen and CO2 sequestered from the air as feedstock, with the proposed new technology production reactor and process to be powered using renewable electricity resulting in a carbon NET ZERO process. The output of the project will mean Ediesel can be produced at a renewable energy site alongside green hydrogen production.
Focusing on energy efficiency, Danfoss aims to accelerate the transition to electric off-road vehicles, by making them cheaper to own and run than diesel equivalents. Combining its Digital Displacement hydraulics and Editron electric motors will allow useful energy to be recovered and re-used, leading to up to 50% reduction of energy consumed, dramatically lowering the cost of the batteries and the energy needed to charge them.
The HYDRATE project will develop a Hydrogen version of the Recuperated Split Cycle Engine (RSCE), a highly innovative, fuel-agnostic thermal engine targeting heavy duty applications. The RSCE offers very high efficiency (competitive with a PEM fuel cell), and very low emissions (SULEV with aftertreatment). It also offers an easy route to transition to a net-zero economy, as it can use existing ICE manufacture and supply chains, and match existing ICE installation requirements, all with a moderate capital cost increase).
Motive Fuels and BAM Nuttall, with support from BRE, Cenex and Powerstar are developing a hydrogen refuelling station to decarbonise BAM’s fleet and provide zero carbon fuel to construction sites around the East of England. If successful, the project will pave the way for local production and distribution of green hydrogen for vehicles and plant without the need for major grid upgrades.
This project will modify an existing 2-cylinder opposed free piston Linear Generator (LGN120) that has been developed by Libertine and MAHLE Powertrain as part of the UK Government funded SBRI Phase 2 programme to allow this to run on blends of compressed natural gas (CNG) and Hydrogen (H2) ranging from 100% CNG to 100% H2.
MAHLE powertrain and their project partners, which include Clean Air Power and the University of Nottingham, will demonstrate two methods of decarbonising heavy duty engines, using Ammonia and Hydrogen or a combination of both. Dual fuel technology provides a low-carbon, near term flex-fuel capability, whilst MAHLE Powertrain’s Jet Ignition technology targets fully decarbonised, ultra-low NOx operation. Clean Air Power will develop its unique injector technology.
NanoSUN will be using the BEIS award to develop the existing Pioneer Mobile Hydrogen Refueling station blueprint specifically for off-road environments and for NRMM applications. This will reinforce the operational & safety aspects of the Pioneer for the chosen environment, allowing it to play a crucial role in enabling sectors to transition away from red diesel and towards a sustainable alternative in hydrogen.
In Horizon 1, Oort Energy is addressing one of the major technical problems in green hydrogen systems – the inability to produce hydrogen at the source at very high pressures. Oort Energy has a solution that raises this limit, allowing hydrogen to be made at pressures suitable for direct vehicle refuelling; thus increasing reliability, reducing costs, and bringing a green hydrogen infrastructure closer to a commercial reality.
Perkins Engines Company Limited, Loughborough University and Flogas will work together to demonstrate an off-highway engine capable of running on renewable DME.
PUNCH Flybrid will deliver a high power electrically driven flywheel energy storage system coupled with a battery energy storage system with support from eMotor partner EMPEL Systems whilst PUNCH Hydrocells will develop a new hydrogen internal combustion engine for NRMM duty cycles. The project will target a significant improvement in NRMM efficiency using the high-power energy storage technology whilst the integration with battery and H2 ICE will provide a longer-term route to zero emissions NRMM.
Steamology delivers scalable and modular solutions for industrial steam heat and power, embracing the hydrogen economy, eliminating emissions, replacing fossil fuels and fossil fuel engines. The project will deliver a high power, zero emission steam turbine drivetrain, proving a viable red diesel engine replacement technology with substantive improvement on battery, fuel cell and ICE technologies, increased energy density and economic life.
This project is to develop and build a working prototype of a mobile aggregate crusher with a next generation electrical drive system. Also, as part of the overall project, work will be conducted on researching alternative power sources that can provide net zero electrical energy that would be suitable to power machines in locations that do not have access to mains supplied power.
The ZECHER project will develop and deploy an H2ICED® combustion engine for onsite construction equipment, enabling a world first in converting a piling machine to run on hydrogen fuel. The project is a collaboration between ULEMCo Ltd, pioneers in hydrogen combustion technology, Skanska, internationally recognised piling and ground engineering specialist contractor and the Buildings Research Establishment (BRE), a research and technology organisation focused on the built environment.
Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.
To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. We’ll send you a link to a feedback form. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Don’t worry we won’t send you spam or share your email address with anyone.