Liebherr and Strabag Test Hydrogen-Powered Wheel Loader in Quarry Pilot Project

Liebherr and Strabag are taking important steps towards a decarbonised construction site through a joint pilot project. In a project that recently started at the Kanzelstein quarry in Gratkorn, Austria, Strabag is testing Liebherr's large hydrogen - powered wheel loader, the L566H, over a period of two years.

Energie Steiermark will supply green hydrogen for the hydrogen - filling station at the quarry. The L566H wheel loader is the world's first large - scale wheel loader equipped with a hydrogen engine.

Strabag is Liebherr's first customer to test the L566H hydrogen wheel loader. "We want to be climate - neutral by 2040. The only way to achieve this is by consistently and comprehensively saving CO2, for example, in the operation of construction machinery," said Strabag CEO Klemens Haselsteiner.

Liebherr manufactures the hydrogen engine used in the machine at its engine plant in Bulle, Switzerland. These engines emit zero greenhouse gases and almost no nitrogen oxides and are efficient to operate. "The technology of the hydrogen engine allows large vehicles, which are difficult to electrify due to their high energy demand, to operate without CO2," explained Dr. - Ing. Herbert Pfab, technical director of Liebherr - Werk Bischofshofen GmbH.

To mark the start of the project, a special event was held, which included technical presentations, a quarry tour, and a demonstration of the wheel loader. Leonore Gewessler, Minister for Climate Action, Clemens Haselsteiner, CEO of Strabag, Martin Graf, Director of Energie Steiermark, and Jan Liebherr, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Liebherr - International AG, attended the event.

Gewessler praised Liebherr's commitment to reducing greenhouse and other harmful gases and its cooperation with Strabag on testing hydrogen technology. "I am pleased to see innovative companies pushing ahead with pilot projects, especially in forms of mobility that are difficult to electrify, such as those in the construction sector," she said.

Through this pilot project, Liebherr and Strabag are demonstrating how emissions can be reduced in an industry that is difficult to decarbonize with alternative fuels. Climate - neutral hydrogen produced from wind, water, or solar energy can be a key driver in achieving the climate - neutrality goals set by Austrian politicians. "Green hydrogen is an indispensable element of our future energy. As an important and valuable energy source, it helps replace fossil natural gas - especially in industry," said Gewessler.