INTERMAT 2024: Liebherr Highlights Low-Emission Solutions With Innovative Drive Technologies

At INTERMAT 2024, Liebherr showcased a wide range of electrically operated machines and hybrid solutions. In addition, with the 9-litre 4-cylinder hydrogen combustion engine H964, the group provided insights into its work in the area of hydrogen-based drives and showed alternative fuels in conjunction with conventional combustion engines.

According to a press release:

Liebherr is concerned with a range of other energy conversion technologies and the suitable energy carriers that are available today and in the foreseeable future. The energy conversion technologies include a full range of efficient engines and drives, some of which are developed and produced by Liebherr.

Future construction sites will be electrified to a higher degree. The reduction of local CO2 and noise emissions are decisive advantages of electrified products for people and the environment. Particularly powerful batteries are required to ensure the energy supply for mobile machines on construction sites with limited or no mains supply. The hydrogen combustion engine impresses in terms of performance and emissions where there is minimum charging infrastructure for electric drives of machines or if battery capacities are still not sufficient. Green hydrogen is a virtually greenhouse gas-neutral energy source that is almost CO2 neutral during combustion.

Electrically Operated Exhibits & Hybrid Concepts

Electrification is a great solution for a wide range of applications, particularly for work in cities or indoor areas. Mains-powered machines have long been familiar and used at Liebherr. Today, it is also possible to transport concrete quietly and electrically to construction sites, for example with the Liebherr truck mixer ETM 1205 with electric drum drive, which is showcased at INTERMAT with an electric chassis. Liebherr is working on powerful, battery-operated machines as for example the Liebherr L 507 E wheel loader that is already available. They can be operated in a climate-neutral way if the power used is derived from renewable energy sources. On jobsites located in remote places and with insufficient infrastructure with electronic supply, hybrid or fully electric construction machines and cranes can be operated or charged with zero local emissions using the Liduro Power Port mobile energy storage system. At INTERMAT, with the mobile construction crane MK 140-5.1, the fast-erecting crane 125 K and the compact crane LTC 1050-3.1E, Liebherr presents three electric cranes that can be used in combination with the Liduro Power Port.

Another area of development is the combination of battery and mains connection, for example in earthmoving and material handling machines and in mobile and crawler cranes. For example, the crane functions of the upper-carriage on Liebherr’s LTC 1050-3.1 compact crane with additional electric drive can be fed by either a combustion engine or an electric motor. The undercarriage is driven by a combustion engine, which can be filled with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). With the overall concept, the crane can be moved on site with zero emissions and can be transported from one construction site to another with virtually no emissions. This means that the hybrid version offers the same utilization properties and the same performance as a classic combustion engine. The ecological and future-proof hybrid power concept enables all mobile construction cranes to be operated fully electrically using either site power or another external power source. The crane thus works particularly quietly, which is especially beneficial on construction sites operating at night in cities. Both the superstructure and undercarriage of the mobile construction cranes can be operated with HVO, making them independent of conventional fuels.

Liebherr HVO filling stationLiebherr
H964 Hydrogen Engine: Potential for the Future

With its technology-neutral approach, Liebherr also forms a basis for driving the development of greenhouse gas-neutral energy source. The Group continues its research and development activities in the hydrogen area and is working on achieving the same performance data for machines with high to very high energy requirements. Liebherr is setting a milestone in drive systems with green hydrogen with the first prototypes of the hydrogen engines.

The extremely compact 9-litre 4-cylinder hydrogen engine H964 is an ideal solution for off-road applications and has impressed with regard to the high power density and low emissions. In the 4-cylinder engine with direct injection, the hydrogen is injected directly into the combustion chamber. The direct injection offers higher potential concerning combustion efficiency and performance. This makes hydrogen engines an attractive alternative to diesel engines when it comes to more demanding applications. In addition, the H964 impresses with its dynamics and high robustness against dust, dirt and vibrations. Apart from the interfaces comparable with a diesel engine (thermal and mechanical), the clear advantages of the hydrogen engine are the minimum outlay for air and hydrogen purity, and less effort overall for the long maintenance intervals. It is already exhibiting virtually "zero" CO2 emissions in the development phase and the NOx emissions are well below the current limit values.

Reducing Emissions With Alternative Fuels

With the mixture of drives to save emissions, sustainable, synthetic fuels are playing an increasingly important role at Liebherr. E-fuels and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) are other alternatives to fossil diesel. E-fuels are manufactured synthetically from renewable electricity, water and CO2, and are therefore an emission-free alternative. HVO is made of hydrotreated vegetable oils and waste animal fats. In comparison to conventional diesel, they reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90 %. Liebherr customers can therefore lower their emissions without having to invest heavily in new products and, at the same time, achieve their ecological and economic objectives.

Climate-friendly solutions, which customers can already use today in conjunction with existing drives, play an important role for Liebherr. This is because synthetic fuels such as HVO can drive conventional combustion engines as an admixture or pure fuel. Alternative fuels such as HVO also enable older Liebherr machines with combustion engines to be operated in a largely climate-neutral manner – and without retrofitting measures. Due to the high product quality and the associated long life of the Liebherr machines, this results in a significant reduction of CO2 emissions during the utilization phase.

Liebherr engines are already ready for use with HVO and can be operated with alternative fuels. Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH and Liebherr-Hydraulikbagger GmbH deliver all machines with HVO as standard ex works. A complete changeover to HVO was also introduced for factory traffic. The Liebherr Werk Biberach GmbH also delivers its mobile construction cranes fueled with HVO. The saving of fossil diesel and greenhouse gas enables Liebherr to make an important contribution to climate protection.