A building site for a major infrastructure project in the U.K. has started to use a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell for heat and power, removing the need for diesel generators.

The news comes as low- or zero-emission kit on construction sites around the world starts to become more commonplace as technologies develop and attitudes shift.

On Thursday, Siemens Energy said the hydrogen fuel cell system would be used on a site in the county of Lincolnshire, England, which serves the Viking Link Interconnector project.

The site was not due to be connected to the grid “for at least six to eight months,” the company said, and so required an off-grid system. The new technology “provide(s) enough heat and power for the construction village during that time, removing the need for diesel generators.”

Installed in August 2020 by Siemens Energy, the system’s kit is contained in a shipping container. Reusable pipes have been installed to carry hot water from the module to areas of the site where it’s needed, while a battery storage system is also in place to help boost efficiency and “smooth the peaks in power demand.”

The plan is for the fuel cell to eventually use “green hydrogen,” a term that refers to hydrogen produced from renewable sources. Siemens Energy added that the fuel cell’s sole by-product from producing power from hydrogen was water, which would prevent the emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other particulates.

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