Features | 25.07.2025 | 3 min read
Hitachi Energy’s hydrogen-powered generator charged a battery-type electric excavator at Air Products’ Rotterdam site, showcasing a cleaner alternative to diesel.
In a live event in Rotterdam, Hitachi Energy successfully introduced HyFlex™, its hydrogen-powered generator based on zero-emission fuel cell technology, marking its debut in the Netherlands. The event represents a significant step toward cleaner construction practices, underscoring the strength of cross-industry collaboration in advancing decarbonization. Working in synergy with Air Products, the world’s largest hydrogen supplier; Hitachi Construction Machinery, a provider of ZE135, a battery-type electric excavator; and Dura Vermeer, a leader in sustainable and innovative construction solutions, Hitachi Energy brought together key players in the clean energy ecosystem to make the demonstration possible.
Green hydrogen is becoming increasingly central to the energy transition. It offers strong potential to drive industrial decarbonization due to its versatility as a clean energy carrier and its ability to indirectly electrify hard-to-abate sectors. The construction sector alone accounts for over a third of global energy-related CO2 emissions1, yet the footprint of building operations continues to rise.
Policy momentum is also playing a key role, with forward-looking regulations and incentives—such as the EU’s revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive2, Oslo’s climate and environmental requirements for construction sites3, and the Netherlands’ roadmap for zero-emission construction equipment4— highlighting both need and demand to accelerate the adoption of cleaner alternatives to conventional fossil fuel generators.
Hitachi Energy’s hydrogen-to-power solution produces electricity, usable heat, and water without combustion, thus emitting no harmful pollutants and operating nearly noise-free. Compared to conventional diesel power generators, a 500 kilovolt-amperes (kVA) HyFlex can reduce diesel fuel consumption by up to 800 tons per year, saving 2,900 tons of CO2 emissions. To generate one megawatt-hour (MWh) of electrical energy, it consumes approximately 70 kilograms of green hydrogen.
HyFlex at the live demonstration in Rotterdam.
As the world’s largest hydrogen supplier, Air Products is proud to support this innovative step toward zero-emission construction. This demonstration proves that hydrogen-powered solutions are not just viable, they’re ready to perform in real-world conditions.
Collaborations like this bring the energy transition to life, showing how hydrogen can decarbonize even the most challenging sectors.
At Hitachi Energy, we are committed to providing innovative solutions and technologies that inspire the next era of sustainable energy. We recognize that the entire energy ecosystem needs to move in the same direction. We are proud to have showcased HyFlex in the Netherlands, thanks to a unique collaboration with key industry players.
HyFlex powered Hitachi Construction Machinery ZE135, a battery-type electric excavator.
The demonstration reinforced that achieving zero-emission construction sites depends on strong, cross-sector collaboration. A standout example is Hitachi Construction Machinery’s battery-type electric excavator, a game-changing innovation driving the shift to sustainable building.
Hitachi Energy has a comprehensive portfolio of solutions for the entire green hydrogen value chain. In addition to hydrogen-to-power solutions, the company supplies power-to-hydrogen (grid-to-stack) solutions for electrolyzer systems that optimize the entire power supply system from the high-voltage grid connection down to stack terminals.
Key applications include construction sites, noise-and pollution-sensitive areas; mining operations to power the increasing number of electric equipment, such as dump trucks and excavators; critical facilities that require an off-grid supply of power and/or heat, such as hospitals, data centers, and hotels; and shore-to-ship power at ports, as recently demonstrated in Sweden, that offers a clean and quiet complement to grid electricity as a replacement to running vessel engines at berth.
As the hydrogen ecosystem is gearing up for gigawatt-scale projects, Hitachi Energy is well-positioned as a partner of choice to provide optimal power supply systems that deliver the highest efficiency, reliability, and power quality.
