While major truck manufacturers have decided to keep old combustion engines on the road, they are taking steps to move away from dirty energy and switch to cleaner technology in the form of hydrogen, according to Reuters.

The global freight industry contributes about 8 percent of global CO2 emissions, and 65 percent of that comes from road transport, so the faster the industry switches to clean energy, the better it is for all of us.

The transportation industry is struggling to transition to clean energy because the electric batteries required are too heavy, have too little range for long-distance hauling, and take too long to recharge. Using hydrogen fuel cells is an option, but companies have to design new trucks, making this too expensive. So truck manufacturers have shifted their focus to developing hydrogen combustion engines, as this is a more viable option, at least in the short term, as it is faster and cheaper.

Unfortunately, the green hydrogen required for relatively clean and efficient operation of hydrogen combustion engines is not available everywhere because its production is expensive.

Green hydrogen is produced by an electrolyzer that splits water molecules and isolates the hydrogen. Crucially, it is produced entirely from renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar, to meet the energy requirements for production. However, as MIT Climate said, “grey hydrogen” is much more common, which uses natural gas instead. This generally defeats the purpose of hydrogen as an alternative fuel source, as it becomes more expensive and polluting than the potential of green hydrogen when produced on a larger scale.

“Everyone is working on it,” said Reiner Roessner, Chief Sales Officer of the Engine Division of MAN Truck & Bus SE. “As soon as hydrogen is available, the demand for hydrogen combustion will increase.”

Another hurdle in the transition to hydrogen combustion engines is that hydrogen trucks require larger pressure tanks than diesel trucks. But this challenge has already been overcome.

The challenge of large-scale production of green hydrogen is also being tackled aggressively. Projects are currently underway in the US and Europe, and an Australian company recently developed a technology that improves the efficiency of green hydrogen production.

The reason so many are racing to replace dirty energy with green hydrogen is because hydrogen releases only water vapor when burned, and doesn’t produce the carbon emissions that cause the planet to overheat, trigger extreme weather events like floods and droughts, and threaten global food supplies. If hydrogen can be extracted, processed, and burned without causing nearly as much pollution as other physical fuels—while also extending the lifespan of many internal combustion engines—it could be a revolutionary advance toward a cleaner future.

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