Mace to use zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell generators in AFC Energy deal

Mace to use zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell generators in AFC Energy deal

March 23, 2021 0 By John Max

The construction company has announced that it intends to replace its diesel gensets.

Construction company Mace has announced that it is working with the AFC Energy fuel cell developer to replace diesel gensets with zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell generators.

This move is a part of a broader step the UK company is taking to decarbonize its construction sites.

Mace has announced a new deal in which it will begin leasing AFC Energy’s zero-emission off-grid H-Power system of hydrogen fuel cell generators starting early next year.

“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,” explained Adam Bond, CEO at AFC Energy.

The construction company has created a business strategy for 2026 in which it has committed to having fully removed all the diesel gensets from its construction sites by that year. According to the 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction published by the UN, the buildings construction industry produces approximately 10 percent of the global CO2 emissions relating to energy.

The hydrogen fuel cell generators are only one component of a larger decarbonization plan.

Mace is starting with the leasing of the H2 powered fuel cells on its construction sites, but the partnership will involve other decarbonization strategies as well. For instance, the goal of the partnership is to encourage incumbent plant hire businesses to make further investments into these types of zero-emission off-grid power sources, said the companies.

“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.

The AFC Energy alkaline hydrogen fuel cell generators system can be used for converting H2 into off-grid decentralized power systems, electric vehicle chargers and industrial gas plants. In the UK, Hydrogen fuel cell generators - Image of diesel generatorstarting April 1, 2022, the construction sector loses its ability to use tax-discounted “red” diesel, removing much of the cost effectiveness of using that fossil fuel.

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