Liebherr begins field trial of hydrogen-powered wheel loader prototype

A white and blue Liebherr wheel loader has been put to work in Bremerhaven. This wheel loader is special; it's a hydrogen-powered L 566 H prototype being tested under real-world operating conditions. The trial will include moving large quantities of material and carrying out everyday tasks that were previously performed by conventionally powered wheel loaders. 

As part of a multi-year pilot project, Liebherr is supporting Georg Grube GmbH with the wheel loader in the handling of various bulk goods. 

Testing alternative fuels requires trials in real-world conditions 

Every day, large quantities of bulk cargo are handled, stored, processed, and transported at the Bremerhaven fishing port. The workflows are tightly scheduled, and to avoid downtime, the machines in use must deliver reliable performance at all times. Under these conditions, the L 566 H prototype will put hydrogen power to the test as a reliable energy source. 

In its day-to-day operations at Georg Grube GmbH, the hydrogen-powered wheel loader will feed conveyor systems, transport sand, gravel, and rock between storage areas, and load processed material onto trucks for onward transport. For Georg Grube GmbH, the L 566 H's suitability is the key focus. "We didn't want to wait until production-ready products were available, but rather to play an active role in shaping the development from the very start. It was crucial for us that the hydrogen-powered wheel loader performs the same tasks just as reliably as our conventional machines — but with low emissions," explains Wolfgang Grube, owner and managing director of Georg Grube GmbH. A dedicated hydrogen refuelling station has been commissioned on the premises of the Fraunhofer IWES Hydrogen Lab in Bremerhaven to refuel the wheel loader. There, the wheel loader can be refuelled quickly after a shift.

"We want to be well-positioned for the future and are therefore already working on the development of various alternative drive systems. This will enable us to bring the technology best suited to each specific application to series production as soon as the market demands it. The pilot project at the fishing harbour offers ideal conditions for development: the Bremerhaven region has the necessary infrastructure to supply our hydrogen-powered machine, enabling us to test the wheel loader under real-world conditions," reports Günther Holzer, technical managing director of Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen GmbH.

Expanding the use of hydrogen in heavy-lifting capacities

The specific conditions in Bremerhaven provide an ideal environment for practical application. In recent years, the region has developed into an important centre for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. Fuel cell cars, buses, and trucks are already in use there today.

With the L 566 H, a hydrogen-powered wheel loader is expanding the range of hydrogen applications beyond public roads. The project provides important insights into the use of alternative powertrains in demanding applications and demonstrates that hydrogen propulsion can, in future, represent an economically viable complementary technology to battery-electric powertrains, provided the right regional conditions are in place.

Green hydrogen, produced directly in the region, serves as the energy source within the pilot project. Wind turbines supply electricity, which an electrolyser from HY.City.Bremerhaven converts into hydrogen. The hydrogen is then transported via mobile storage solutions to the hydrogen refuelling station, where the L 566 H can be refuelled. "With this project, we are demonstrating how a regional hydrogen value chain can work in practice. From production through to storage and transport, right through to refuelling and use in a heavy-duty machine, all the components fit together seamlessly," explains Andreas Wellbrock, managing director of Green Fuels and initiator of HY.City.Bremerhaven.

Trials are possible with strong industry partnerships 

The successful launch of the pilot program demonstrates how new technologies can be put into practice through close collaboration between industry, end-users, and regional partners. The field test of the hydrogen-powered wheel loader forms part of the ‘H2B:IMPACT' project, the first ‘Hydrogen Valley' in Germany to be funded by the EU and the Clean Hydrogen Partnership (CHP). Each project partner contributes their specific expertise and helps to gather valuable experience with hydrogen-powered construction machines in day-to-day use. The insights gained are intended to support the further development of sustainable propulsion solutions and open up new areas of application.

"The project demonstrates how, through the successful collaboration of ambitious partners and the integration of the hydrogen wheel loader into a hydrogen ecosystem, a functioning hydrogen value chain can already be established today. For the future market ramp-up, a network of hydrogen refuelling stations and additional vehicles are now required to ensure sufficient baseline utilisation of the infrastructure and thus enable economically viable operation. It is crucial that Europe actively seizes the opportunities offered by this technology and positions itself successfully in the face of international competition," said the technical managing director of Liebherr-Werk Bischofshofen.

Georg Grube GmbH also sees the project as an important step for the future: "We are proud to be able to contribute to the development of this innovative propulsion technology through our practical deployment and thereby make material handling more low-emission in the long term", said Wolfgang Grube. The multi-year trial in Bremerhaven is intended to demonstrate that hydrogen can be a practical alternative to conventional propulsion systems, particularly for heavy-duty applications in material handling.