British-headquartered materials handling, construction and agricultural equipment manufacturer JCB, has secured full European Union approval for its hydrogen engine for use in non-road mobile machinery.

In March, JCB announced the hydrogen engine was being trialled in real-world conditions in a wide variety of equipment, including its Loadall telescopic handler range.

The company says it is the first to develop a fully working combustion engine fuelled by hydrogen, which has taken a team of 150 engineers almost four years and an investment of £100 million (USD114.1 million) to produce.

JCB says the EU type-approval certificate has been issued in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/1628 and certifies JCB’s hydrogen combustion engine to prevailing EU Stage V emissions norms. 

The EU type-approval follows earlier landmark rulings by licensing authorities in nine countries in mainland Europe allowing the engine to be used commercially in machines in those countries under ‘new technology’ provisions.

JCB chairman Anthony Bamford, who has led the company’s hydrogen engine project, says this is a “very significant moment for JCB’s hydrogen program”.

“It was not so long ago that some said that it was ‘game over’ for the internal combustion engine in Europe,” Bamford continues. “For JCB to have secured full EU type-approval is proof positive that the combustion engine does indeed have a promising future in pursuit of a net zero world if hydrogen, a zero CO2 fuel, is used instead of fossil fuels.

“I could not be more delighted for the JCB team that put so much work into getting us to this stage. Now our focus will be on bringing our hydrogen technology to market.”

JCB now has more than 130 evaluation hydrogen engines being tested by clients.