Balfour Beatty demonstrates hydrogen-powered engine technology reducing carbon emissions across rail and infrastructure fleets

Credit: Balfour Beatty

Leading international infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has successfully completed an ‘engine carbon clean’ (ECC) trial on a Plasser and Theuer compact tamper, demonstrating the technology’s ability to reduce carbon emissions and improve engine performance.

ECC is an innovative, patented on-demand hydrogen generator system that cleans combustion engines internally by removing carbon build-up. Hydrogen is piped into the engine air intake, allowing the engine to draw in what it needs. The process significantly improves fuel efficiency and reduces toxic emissions, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and nitrous oxide.

Balfour Beatty is the first infrastructure company to apply ECC to rail-mounted plant as part of efforts to address Scope 1 emissions. The trial simulated a full year of typical usage aligned with maintenance cycles, achieving a 15.79 per cent reduction in emissions. Following the successful trial, the company plans to roll out the ECC service across its entire tamper fleet.

George Chaplin, Investment and Innovation Manager at Balfour Beatty, said: “ECC is a simple and non-intrusive solution that fits seamlessly into our servicing schedules without disrupting workflows. By extending engine life, reducing maintenance requirements, and lowering fuel consumption, ECC delivers measurable carbon and costs savings while minimising downtime – making it a smart, sustainable investment for our fleet.”

Ben Kattenhorn, CEO of Engine Carbon Clean by Advanced Hydrogen Technologies, added: “The technology is already proven on road vehicles with similar engine types, achieving fuel and CO2 savings between eight and thirty per cent, but working with rail experts K2C Rail and their partners 1stinrail, part of the industry-leading RSK Group, means the ECC team are also fully aware of rail procedures, so it’s a slick and BAU service. Rail is one of the sectors most under scrutiny, but ECC offers an immediate solution – also restoring engine efficiency and power, extending the lifespan of assets and fully aligning with the new ESG compliance requirements of the International Financial Reporting Standards mandate.”

The ECC system produces oxyhydrogen gas on-demand via tap water electrolysers, which is fed into the engine to clean all components, including the diesel particulate filter. The hydrogen reacts with oxygen under heat to release carbon deposits, improving combustion and allowing engine revolutions to return to manufacturer specifications.

Hydrogen is non-corrosive, with no harmful additives, compressed storage or superheating required. The modular system can clean any internal combustion engine, from small generators to locomotives, ships, heavy plant, or commercial vehicles using diesel, petrol, HVO, CNG, LNG or other biofuels.

ECC tracks CO2 levels with ISO-calibrated emissions testers and monitors fuel reduction at idle. Because fuel consumption and emissions are directly linked, improvements in efficiency automatically result in measurable reductions in CO2.