TCP is using hydrogen to create cleaner construction sites

Large-scale construction demands diesel-guzzling heavy plant and noisy diesel generators powering off-grid site work for years before a project generates its first clean energy.

Back in 2012, Andrew Barker identified hydrogen as a fuel of the future and a solution to pollution issues during construction projects in his Essex-based family business, Taylor Construction Plant (TCP Group).

His concerns about health issues caused by carbon emissions, combined with a drive to make a difference, led to game changing inventions using hydrogen to transform power for site operations – making sites better neighbours, with fewer health dangers to site workers and helping the drive against climate change.

He developed his first hydrogen powered product more than a decade ago – mobile lighting towers that are the flagship product for the business and first choice for building and maintenance projects across the UK on the mission to net zero.

Today, hundreds of TCP Eco hydrogen fuel cell-powered towers are out on hire, most within two hours travel time of TCP’s network of national bases.

Born out of a partnership with BOC, replacing diesel with hydrogen fuel cells in lighting towers led to another 10 years of research and development to expand TCP Eco’s hydrogen-powered product range.

Now, hydrogen-powered generators heat and light sentry boxes and welfare cabins, removing 80% of emissions. They have also replaced diesel generators to run site CCTV and security monitoring systems.

Andrew Barker, managing director, TCP Group (Image: TCP)
TCP Eco is supplying a number of key trials for customers with hydrogen power units, an example of which is working with Jackson Civil Engineering to adapt and pioneer the units.

“We are looking for applications where there is an opportunity to reduce the load on site or, if it is a small load and it is using fossil fuels or liquid fuel, with a zero-emission alternative,” said Andrew.

“We are seeking to partner with businesses operating the numerous small-scale sites that need three or four cabins, adapting to run off-grid with zero emission equipment.

“We can also contribute on larger site compounds with 20-30 cabins. We can still assist with the overall load if there is an opportunity for another energy source.

“As a business, we are good at rising to the challenge.”

Hydrogen will be the catalyst that brings about a paradigm shift in energy use within the construction sector and other sectors, Andrew said.

Green hydrogen, produced by wind and PV solar, will be a key future energy vector.

“My vision is to see green hydrogen into the gas network, compress it to the pressure required at point of use and use the gas network to move it around. But, will this happen in my lifetime?”

A founding member of Hydrogen East, Andrew and his team in Maldon are working with the “kindred spirits” in industry shaping a cultural shift towards hydrogen.

“Like in the HS2 and Cross Rail projects, we find people who align to what we are thinking and want and have access to innovation funds to make a difference.”

Back in 2015, the “kick start” came for hydrogen mobile lighting towers when Costain used them on the Cross Rail project.

“We have steadily grown the fleet of hydrogen mobile lighting towers going out into other products. We are fortunate we have in-house design. If we find a niche, we can design a product.

“I am very much a ‘we are going to make this work’ person rather than it being a concept. It is about coming up with a unique and robust commercial product.”

Eco hydrogen fuel cell-powered lighting towers are TCP’s flagship product (Image: TCP)
Innovation has come a long way since Andrew and two of his uncles launched TCP in 1989.

A recent challenge by the Environment Agency to carry out emission and noise free repairs on locks, illustrated how far.

“A lot of their lock sites were near buildings, camp sites and local stakeholders who could be affected by fumes and the droning of diesel generators.

“They needed to use off-grid power. We provided the heating equipment, lighting and fuel cell generators, and they could tell their stakeholders and neighbours there were no pollutants during these exercises.”

On site, the TCP team looks at how operations can use less power using hydrogen generators.

“If you have well insulated cabins, double glazed windows, door closers and LED lighting that turns off when no one was in the units, you make significant changes to the heating and it reduces the load by about 80%.

“In one example, a site drying room used a 5KW heater, which created a sauna effect, with the hot air being sucked out.

“We ran it on 700W, taking away the sauna effect and extracting the water from the atmosphere. We used battery inverter packs with the smallest inverters to keep the system losses as low as we could.”

Added value comes in the form of TCP’s fully managed gas service. Usage is monitored remotely and when a hydrogen gas cylinder needs exchanging, the TCP team make arrangements with the customer to replace the empty cylinder with a full one and then take the empty one away.

“A customer wants either light or power, with the management and technical requirements of hydrogen provided as part of the supply offering, without having to manage it themselves. TCP will do it for you.”

A great recycler, Andrew insists the business reuses equipment and avoids waste. Hundreds of diesel-powered mobile lighting towers have been rebuilt internally to take hydrogen fuel cell and gas cylinders.

New challenges for Andrew and the team include solutions to pumping water with zero emissions and off-grid charging solutions for electric heavy plant.

“There is a drive for electric vehicles in heavy plant work. People want to charge them on site. There is the conundrum and a challenge we are working hard to resolve.

“We have the vision to get to zero emission – one step at a time.”

Read more about the East of England’s energy industry in the latest issue of Insight Energy.