UK: Infrastructure contractor Balfour Beatty has completed an ‘engine carbon clean’ trial using a Plasser & Theurer compact tamper, and is now aiming to roll out the technology across its entire tamper fleet to reduce carbon emissions and improve engine performance.
Advanced Hydrogen Technologies’ patented ECC on-demand hydrogen generator technology cleans combustion engines internally by removing carbon build up. Hydrogen is piped into the air intake and the engine sucks in on demand what it needs, with a reaction between the hydrogen, oxygen and heating process ‘popping’ the carbon off the inside of the engine including the pre-combustion parts.
This significantly improves fuel efficiency and reduces CO₂, CO, NOx and N₂O emissions.
Balfour Beatty says it is the first infrastructure company to apply ECC to on-track plant as part of its efforts to address Scope 1 emissions. The trial simulated a full year of usage aligning with typical maintenance cycles and saw a 15.79% reduction in emissions.
‘ECC is a simple and non-intrusive solution that fits seamlessly into our servicing schedules without disrupting workflows’, said George Chaplin, Investment & Innovation Manager at Balfour Beatty. ‘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 AHT Group, said ’the technology is already proven on road vehicles with similar engine types, achieving fuel and CO₂ savings between 8% and 30%, but working with rail experts K2C Rail and their partners 1stinrail means the ECC team are also fully aware of rail procedures, so it’s a slick and business as usual 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.’
