Uni and CSIRO fuel tractor research

THE Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is working with researchers at Federation University on a new agricultural emissions project.

In collaboration with Foton Mobility, a distributor of hydrogen vehicles, the CSIRO and FedUni are investigating how tractor powertrain greenhouse emissions can be reduced by swapping out diesel power for hydrogen fuel cell electric technology.

Federation University associate professor of hydrogen technologies Dr Surbhi Sharma said the agriculture industry is one of the country’s biggest emitters.

Hydrogen fuel cells produce water vapor instead of gases and allow for a constant electric current.

“The fuel cell-electric hybrid technology we are researching at Federation University could provide real benefits to primary producers,” Dr Sharma said.

“The significant advantage with the systems is that they use hydrogen and oxygen from the air to produce electricity and water; there are no emissions except water vapour.

“This technology does not burn hydrogen, unlike what some people might think when they hear of hydrogen technology replacing diesel or petrol.

“The farm equipment will also have a small battery similar to the current equipment, making it a fuel cell-electric hybrid. The interesting part is having no internal combustion engine.

“There is a lot of interest in decarbonisation and tackling climate change, and this research is just one step in society’s journey in transitioning to a net zero future.”

Researchers are going to work with a range of farmers to note data on their tractor use, and then test how parts may wear in different conditions with hydrogen fuel cell-electric technology.

Dr Sharma said the need for battery charging of electric tractors can cause challenges for farmers who often work to tight timelines.