In January this year (2025) the UK Government[1] published the results of a December ‘23 call for evidence[2] about Decarbonisation options for Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM). To help inform the policy development.

The call for evidence sought to gather industry and stakeholder views on NRMM decarbonisation. One of the key highlights from the responses was this snippet.

“…. sought evidence on the opportunities and barriers to the development, deployment, and utilisation of the decarbonisation options ….”

It was reported (by respondents) that low and zero carbon NRMM can cost significantly more to purchase and operate than incumbent technologies, caused by higher input costs and the price of alternative fuels. The cost of installing recharging infrastructure was also raised as a barrier.”

I’ve been pondering this a lot, particularly with regard to reducing the total cost of ownership (TCOO) of zero-emission machinery. I for one will readily admit that the initial purchase of zero-emission machinery does cost significantly more than current incumbent diesel internal combustion engine machinery, however I do believe that this initial premium can be offset totally by cutting the TCOO of the equipment and that happens at the design & development stage and allowing for extended operations in sensitive areas.

To that end I wondered what the future could potentially look like in 7 years’ time (2032) and with the help of Ai (Perplexity) came out with some interesting figures.

If you take the supposition is that zero emission construction machinery utilising hydrogen fuel cell hybrid energy systems as it’s quiet in comparison to diesel or hydrogen internal combustion engine machines would allow construction companies to extend their site working hours slightly (obviously earthmoving operations, drilling, sawing, hammering etc. will create noise so full 24hr operation isn’t possible) but let’s say that it’s possible to extend construction operations from a 10 hour work day envelope to a 12 hour envelope (allowing 1 hr for lunch & breaks) – so rather than working from 08:00 to 18:00 they could work from 07:00 to 19:00. You run staggered “shifts” – one starting at 07:00 and finishing at 16:00 and one starting at 10:00 finishing at 19:00 to maintain productivity the size of the workforce is increased by 25% to maintain overlap with no overtime premium.

If the constructor was building a housing development of 100 family homes in North East England, how much quicker would this project be completed and would there be a cost saving for the constructor?

So modelling the total project costs for a 100-home development comparing a zero-emission hydrogen site (i.e. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Hybrid machinery – i.e. quiet) versus a conventional diesel site. We’ll assume:

• Amortised green hydrogen price: £4.55/kg (reflecting a 60% drop from 2025 to 2035)
• Project duration: 24 months standard (diesel) → 19 months (20% faster with hydrogen, extended hours)
• Hydrogen plant hire premium: 5% over diesel
• Hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) machines at 50% efficiency vs. diesel at 35%
• Hydrogen’s higher calorific value (120 MJ/kg vs. diesel’s 43 MJ/kg)

• Plant hire (diesel): £8,000/week
• Plant hire (H₂): £8,400/week (5% premium)
• Generator hire (diesel): £350/week
• Generator hire (H₂): £700/week
• Site facilities: £350/week
• Noise mitigation (diesel): £10,000
• Labour cost per week: £20,000
• Fuel consumption (diesel): 1,000L/week
• Diesel cost: £1.60/litre
• Green H₂ cost: £4.55/kg
• Programme: 24 months (104 weeks, diesel) vs. 19 months (82 weeks, H₂)
• Core build, infrastructure, fees, contributions, etc.: £12,300,000 (unchanged for both scenarios)

Efficiency and Calorific Value Adjustments

• Diesel engine efficiency: 35%
• HFC efficiency: 50%
• Diesel energy content: 43 MJ/kg, density 0.832 kg/L → 1,000L = 832 kg × 43 MJ = 35,776 MJ/week × 35% = 12,522 MJ useful work/week
• H₂ energy content: 120 MJ/kg, 50% efficiency → 12,522 MJ / 0.5 = 25,044 MJ input needed → 25,044 MJ / 120 MJ/kg = 209 kg H₂/week (rounded)

Cost Model

Cost Element	Diesel Site	H₂ Site
Plant/Equipment Hire	£832,000	£688,800
Generator Hire	£36,400	£57,400
Fuel (Plant & Gen)	£166,400	£77,974
Site Facilities	£36,400	£28,700
Noise Mitigation	£10,000	£0
Labour (site management, prelims)	£2,080,000	£1,640,000
Core build, infrastructure build, fees, etc.	£12,300,000	£12,300,000
Total	£15,461,200	£14,792,874

Emissions Calculation

• Diesel: 1,000L/week × 2.68 kg CO₂/L × 104 weeks = ~279 tonnes CO₂ over the full programme
• Hydrogen: Zero on-site emissions if using green hydrogen

Summary Table: Full Project (100 Homes, Greenfield Site, Efficiency-Adjusted)

Item	Diesel	Hydrogen
Total Project Cost	£15,461,200	£14,792,874
Total Programme	24 months	19 months
On-site CO₂ Emissions	~279 tonnes	0 (green H₂)
Health/Disruption	High (NOx, PM, noise)	Low (clean air, quiet)

By accounting for the 50% efficiency of hydrogen fuel cell machines (vs. 35% for diesel) and hydrogen’s higher calorific value, a 100-home greenfield estate project using green hydrogen at an amortised £4.55/kg and a 5% plant hire premium would cost about £668,000 less than a diesel-powered equivalent (about 4.3% cheaper), finish 20% faster, and eliminate nearly 279 tonnes of on-site CO₂ emissions.
This makes hydrogen a clear economic, environmental, and community health winner as prices fall and technology matures.

Excluding the core build material costs and focusing solely on labour and site overheads, switching to hydrogen-powered plant (with a 5% hire premium, £4.55/kg green H₂, and efficiency adjustment) delivers a cost saving of approximately 21% over diesel for the infrastructure phase of a 100-home greenfield estate.

Ahhh I hear you say that’s for a development in North East England, what about London & the South East? Truthfully there isn’t a great deal of difference in the bottom line, however the core costs are a LOT more expensive.

• London / South East build costs are ~12–20% higher than national average

• Labour accounts for up to 45% of total build cost in the South East
• Infrastructure as a % of build cost is consistent nationwide, but absolute costs are higher due to higher wages, plant, and materials.

The percentage saving on the infrastructure phase is unchanged from other regions, but the absolute value is higher due to higher baseline costs.

What This all Means for Developers and Partners

Taken together, the modelling indicates that a 100‑home greenfield estate built with hydrogen fuel cell hybrid plant can:​

• Finish around 20% faster than a conventional diesel site.
• Cut total project cost by ~£668,000 (about 4.3%).
• Deliver a ~21% saving on labour and site overheads for the infrastructure phase.
• Eliminate nearly 279 tonnes of on‑site CO₂ emissions when using green hydrogen.

As hydrogen pricing falls and equipment matures, zero‑emission plant stops being a “green premium” and becomes a strategic lever on programme, cost and risk. For contractors, developers and clients who are serious about net‑zero, community impact and predictable delivery, these numbers show that quiet hydrogen machinery is not just environmentally credible – it is commercially rational.​

If you’d like to explore what a hydrogen‑enabled, extended‑hours site could look like for your next project – or pressure‑test the assumptions for a specific development – Zeromachine Works Studio can build a tailored model around your real‑world constraints, supply options and fleet strategy.

Appendix – Validating the result, where did the data come from?

This was perplexity.ai’s answer

Project Scale and Duration

The 100-home greenfield estate was based on typical UK housing development scales. Industry data shows that housing developments of 50-100 homes typically take 18 months to 3 years from planning to completion. I used 24 months (104 weeks) as the baseline for diesel construction, which aligns with standard delivery timeframes.

The 19-month (82 weeks) hydrogen timeline represents a 20% reduction achieved through extended working hours enabled by quieter hydrogen equipment. This assumption was based on the premise that hydrogen fuel cell equipment operates significantly more quietly than diesel, potentially allowing extended site hours from 7am-7pm instead of 8am-6pm.

Construction Costs

The core house construction cost of £25 million for 100 homes was derived from current UK building costs:

• Average house size: 100m² (standard 3-bedroom house)
• Construction cost: £2,500/m²
• Total house construction: 100 houses × 100m² × £2,500 = £25,000,000

Infrastructure costs were set at 15% of build cost (£3.75 million), which aligns with industry standards for site infrastructure including roads, utilities, landscaping, and drainage systems.

Plant Hire Costs

Diesel Plant Hire Rates

The £8,000 per week diesel plant hire cost was derived from aggregating typical UK construction equipment rental rates:

• 8-tonne excavator: £600/week
• 13-tonne excavator: £500-750/week
• Dumpers (various sizes): £275-500/week
• Telehandlers: £250-375/week7
• Rollers: £150-400/week6

For a 100-home site requiring multiple pieces of equipment simultaneously, £8,000/week represents a realistic aggregate cost.

Hydrogen Plant Premiums

The hydrogen plant hire premiums tested (5%, 15%, and 50%) reflect different market maturity scenarios:

• 5% premium: Near-term competitive scenario as hydrogen equipment scales
• 15% premium: Current early-adoption premium for specialized equipment
• 50% premium: Early market scenario with limited supply and higher technology costs

Fuel Consumption and Efficiency Calculations

Diesel Consumption

The 1,000 litres per week diesel consumption was based on:

• Typical construction site fuel usage patterns
• UK construction sector consuming 2.5 million tonnes oil equivalent annually across 300,000 pieces of equipment
• Average consumption for mixed plant operations on a medium-sized development

Hydrogen Efficiency Calculations

The hydrogen consumption calculation required energy equivalence analysis:

Diesel Energy Input:

• Consumption: 1,000 L/week
• Density: 0.832 kg/L
• Energy content: 43 MJ/kg
• Total energy: 1,000 × 0.832 × 43 = 35,776 MJ/week
• Useful work (35% efficiency): 35,776 × 0.35 = 12,522 MJ/week

Hydrogen Requirement:

• Required input energy (50% efficiency): 12,522 ÷ 0.50 = 25,044 MJ/week
• Hydrogen energy content: 120 MJ/kg
• Hydrogen consumption: 25,044 ÷ 120 = 208.7 kg/week

This efficiency advantage is supported by research showing hydrogen fuel cells achieve 50-60% efficiency compared to diesel engines at 35-40%

Hydrogen Pricing Sources

GeoPura Current Pricing

GeoPura’s £44.27/kg current (18/06/25) spot price was sourced directly from their published pricing. This represents current market pricing for green hydrogen meeting UK Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard (LCHS) certification.

Consensus Pricing

The £6.50/kg consensus price represents typical industry projections for near-term green hydrogen costs, reflecting current contract pricing and medium-term market expectations.

Amortized Pricing

The £4.55/kg amortized price reflects a 60% cost reduction trajectory from 2025-2035:

• 2025 starting price: £6.50/kg
• 2035 target price: £2.60/kg (60% reduction)
• Average over period: (£6.50 + £2.60) ÷ 2 = £4.55/kg

This reduction trajectory aligns with government targets and industry roadmaps for green hydrogen cost reductions.

Labour and Site Costs

Labour Costs

The £20,000 per week labour cost was based on:

• UK construction sector average weekly earnings of £739-981 per worker
• Typical site management, supervision, and trades workforce for a 100-home development
• North East England regional wage levels (lower end of UK range)

Generator Hire

• Diesel generators: £350/week for typical 10-50kVA units
• Hydrogen generators: £700/week reflecting 100% premium for specialized equipment

Site Facilities

£350/week covers site offices, welfare facilities, security, and utilities based on standard industry rates.

Emissions Calculations

CO2 Emissions

Diesel CO2 emissions were calculated using the standard conversion factor:

• Diesel consumption: 1,000 L/week × 24 weeks = 24,000 L total
• CO2 emission factor: 2.68 kg CO2 per litre
• Total emissions: 24,000 × 2.68 = 64,320 kg CO2 (64.3 tonnes)

However, for the 19-month hydrogen scenario:

• Diesel equivalent over 19 months: 1,000 L/week × 19.5 weeks = 19,500 L
• CO2 emissions: 19,500 × 2.68 = 52,260 kg CO2 (52.3 tonnes)

Summary of Key Cost Components

Cost Element	Diesel	Hydrogen
Plant Hire	£824,000	£688,800
Generator Hire	£36,050	£57,400
Fuel	£164,800	£77,863
Site Facilities	£36,050	£28,700
Noise Mitigation	£10,000	£0
Labour	£2,060,000	£1,640,000
Subtotal	£3,130,900	£2,492,763
Core Build & Infrastructure	£12,300,000	£12,300,000
Total Project	£15,430,900	£14,792,763

Validation Against Industry Data

The calculations align with established industry benchmarks:

• Construction costs per m²: Within £2,200-£3,000 range reported across multiple sources
• Plant hire rates: Consistent with regional pricing from multiple hire companies
• Project durations: Within 18-36 month range for similar developments
• Fuel consumption: Proportional to national construction sector diesel usage

All assumptions were conservative and based on publicly available industry data, government statistics, and established engineering principles for energy conversion and efficiency calculations.

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[1]  Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ), the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and the Department for Transport (DfT)

[2]  Non-Road Mobile Machinery Decarbonisation Options: Call for Evidence: Summary of Responses