The Lower Thames Crossing project has entered a new phase with the deployment of the world’s first hydrogen-powered digger in active service. This JCB backhoe loader, fueled by Ryze hydrogen and provided by Flannery Plant Hire, is being used by Skanska to carry out ground investigation work near Gravesend in Kent. 

The Government, supported by its adviser Mace, is currently developing the financial framework for the major infrastructure scheme, which is expected to be delivered through a private financing model. Although funding details have not yet been confirmed, National Highways anticipates that construction could commence as soon as 2026, with the project opening in the early 2030s. The Lower Thames Crossing targets a 70% reduction in its construction carbon footprint by adopting innovative materials, technologies, and building methods.

This move is part of a broader effort by National Highways to make the Lower Thames Crossing the UK’s first carbon-neutral major infrastructure project. The plan is to eliminate diesel use on worksites entirely by 2027, and the remaining emissions will be offset in the early 2030s once further reductions are not feasible.