UK construction company Mace and fuel cell developer AFC Energy are to work on decarbonizing Mace's construction sites by replacing diesel generators with zero emission hydrogen fuel cell generators, the companies said March 16.
Multiple UK and international sites under Mace's control will be identified for initial leasing of AFC Energy's off-grid, zero emission H-Power system from early 2022.
"Mace is leading the construction sector's transition away from diesel to sustainable power generation and our partnership, the first of its kind in the UK, will highlight to government and industry how zero-emission technology can be adopted to significantly accelerate decarbonization," said AFC Energy CEO Adam Bond.
Mace's 2026 business strategy include the removal of diesel generators from its sites by 2026.
The buildings construction industry accounts for 10% of global energy related emissions of CO2, according to the UN's 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction.
Beyond the leasing of fuel cells across various Mace construction sites, the partnership aimed to encourage incumbent plant hire businesses to invest in hydrogen power generators, the two companies said.
"Currently, the provision of temporary power to construction sites is provided through the hiring of on-site diesel gensets through plant hire businesses rather than constructors purchasing generators directly," they said.
AFC Energy's alkaline fuel cell system can be used to convert hydrogen to electricity in electric vehicle chargers, off-grid decentralized power systems and industrial gas plants.
From April 1, 2022, the UK construction sector will no longer be able to use tax-discounted "red" diesel, as set out in the government's 2020 budget.
Users of off-highway machinery currently pay fuel duty of 11.14 pence/l versus 57.95 pence/l (78.76 cents/l).
Mace is a privately-owned business with five hubs in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, the Americas, Sub Saharan Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. It had a turnover of GBP1.80 billion in 2019. Its European project pipeline exceeds Eur2 billion ($2.38 billion) in value.
