Application
Hydrogen Power Units for Construction and Remote Sites
The Challenge
Construction sites and remote operations have historically run on diesel generator sets, with recurring pain points:
- Urban emissions and noise restrictions — city projects face tightening air-quality rules, and night-time work is often banned because of genset noise.
- Refuelling cost and downtime — remote sites need frequent diesel deliveries; every refuel stop is a logistics and cost event.
- Electrification of site equipment — electric tools, site EVs and temporary charging loads increase the demand for clean, quiet site power.
- ESG and tender requirements — major contractors must now demonstrate zero-emission site strategies to win public and corporate contracts.
The Hydrogen Solution
- Containerised PEM generators — 50–150 kW units (for example the EODev GEH2 class) replace a diesel genset one-for-one, with the same electrical interface.
- Silent operation — enables night and early-morning work in urban zones, accelerating project schedules.
- Zero local emissions — no exhaust on site, no diesel odour, and cleaner air around workers and neighbours.
- Modular and scalable — multiple units can be paralleled as site demand grows, and relocated from phase to phase.
Deployment Thinking
An urban construction site drawing 100–200 kVA typically deploys two 88 kW-class hydrogen generators in place of a 250 kVA diesel set. Hydrogen is delivered by tube trailer or swapped cylinder packs, and on-site refuelling is a simple connection process. For mining camps, pipeline projects or disaster-repair crews, mobile hydrogen generators combine with solar where available to create a hybrid off-grid microgrid with far lower diesel dependency.
Selection Advice
- Power demand and growth — size for peak simultaneous loads (cranes, compressors, site EVs), not average demand.
- Mobility and footprint — check whether the unit is containerised for crane/truck handling and how it is moved between phases.
- Refuelling cadence — plan hydrogen delivery intervals around consumption; consider trailer swaps for high-use sites.
- Weather and site conditions — verify derating for heat, cold and altitude, and the enclosure rating for dusty sites.
- Rental versus purchase — many suppliers offer hydrogen generators on rental terms, matching the temporary nature of construction power.
- Noise compliance — confirm sound levels against local night-work limits.