Hydrogen Dual-Fuel Technology
H2ICED® is ULEMCo’s globally unique hydrogen dual-fuel solution which enables conventional diesel engines to operate using a combination of hydrogen and diesel.
It provides a practical, low-cost route to achieving significant carbon emission reductions from heavy-duty vehicles, construction plant and marine applications, without compromising performance or reliability.
How does the hydrogen dual-fuel technology work and what system is included?
The H2ICED® system integrates onboard hydrogen storage tanks with a dual-fuel delivery system that allows hydrogen to be mixed directly with diesel in the engine. This typically displaces between 30% and 50% of the energy normally provided by diesel with zero-carbon hydrogen.
The original vehicle engine remains unchanged, ensuring that vehicle’s power, durability, and operational reliability are maintained. If hydrogen fuel is not available, the vehicle automatically continues to operate on conventional diesel as normal.
An upgrade involves installing 350bar hydrogen tanks and the associated high-pressure components in an engineered tank pack, alongside adding hydrogen gas injectors in the air inlet of the engine, the associated wiring and pipework and the proprietary hydrogen dual fuel engine control unit, to enable the vehicle or equipment to run on the mix of fuels.
The system is installed with the human display module, and cloud-based monitoring and diagnostics tool, within about two weeks. Between placing an order to delivery of the finished zero carbon fuel upgrade takes around six months to allow for supply of long lead time components.
Read case study: Hydrogen Dual-Fuel Refuse Collection Vehicles
What expertise is involved?
ULEMCo offers a comprehensive, end-to-end service to support successful deployment, including:
- Full assessment of current fleet energy use and operational needs
- Expert advice on hydrogen refuelling options, including on-site generation and access to national refuelling infrastructure
- Engineering review to determine optimal onboard hydrogen storage solutions. Bespoke system calibration to ensure seamless and efficient dual-fuel operation
- Professional installation and commissioning of the hydrogen dual fuel upgrade solution Ongoing technical support, including safety assessments, vehicle documentation, driver training, and maintenance guidance
- ULEMCo integrates patented leak detection and proven hydrogen safety measures, including onboard storage solutions, into all vehicle conversion and development projects.
What are the benefits?
Dual-fuel hydrogen-diesel vehicle upgrades – H2ICED® – deliver immediate, measurable carbon emission reductions by replacing a significant portion of diesel energy with zero-carbon hydrogen fuel. Every 1kg of hydrogen used to displace diesel fuel reduces tailpipe emissions by just less that 10kg of CO2 to the atmosphere.
Using clean hydrogen fuel improves air quality, reduces operational emissions, and offers a cost-effective, low-risk first step into hydrogen fuel use.
By retaining the original engine, conversion costs are minimised, operational reliability is preserved, and vehicles can remain in service 24/7, even when hydrogen fuel availability is limited.
The flexibility of hydrogen vehicle conversion means entire fleets can be progressively converted to clean hydrogen fuel, helping to build demand for local “green” hydrogen production and accelerating the path to net-zero transport.
