Caterpillar has announced the launch of a three-year program to demonstrate an advanced hydrogen-hybrid power solution built on its new Cat C13D engine platform.

Starting in the first quarter of 2024, Caterpillar will develop a transient-capable system for off-highway applications. The project will demonstrate how state-of-the-art control systems and electric-hybrid components can help hydrogen-fueled engines meet or exceed the power density and transient performance of traditional diesel engines.

Caterpillar will serve as the prime contractor on the project, providing engine research and development as well as system integration. As the project progresses, other industry and academic collaborators will be brought into the program to provide additional specialist expertise. The initiative will be delivered at Caterpillar facilities in Chillicothe, IL. and San Antonio, Texas.

With research commencing in 2024, the project is supported and partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). It is included among 45 projects across 18 states and Washington, D.C., receiving funding to advance research, development, demonstration, and deployment in several areas critical to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transportation sector.

The hydrogen-hybrid power demonstration project is the latest in a series of initiatives that builds upon Caterpillar’s 35 years of enterprise experience in hydrogen fuels.

“Every off-highway application has its own unique duty cycles, lifecycle demands and performance expectations, and this complexity is driving the development of a wide range of power solutions for the energy transition,” said Steve Ferguson, senior vice president Caterpillar Industrial Power Systems. “One size does not fit all, which is why we’ve engineered flexibility into the C13D engine to serve as our platform of the future.”