Speedy Hire agrees a partnership with Niftylift to create the first access platform powered by hydrogen as an alternative to diesel machines
- Speedy Hire: Rigs are the ‘first viable alternative’ to diesel-powered equipment
- Niftylift will also supply Speedy Hire with zero emission lifts as part of the deal
Speedy Hire has partnered with Niftylift to develop the world’s first access platform powered by hydrogen and electricity.
The rental equipment firm said the deal will help infrastructure, construction and other related industries move closer to achieving net zero emissions while remaining “commercially sustainable.”
Under the three-year agreement, Niftylift will exclusively supply Speedy Hire with zero-emission lifts, as well as some hybrid-powered access platforms, designed and built at their Milton Keynes facility.
Partnership:: Under the three-year agreement, Niftylift will exclusively supply Speedy Hire with zero-emission lifts, as well as some hybrid-powered access platforms.
Speedy Hire said the rigs are the “first viable alternative” to diesel-powered machinery and do not require on-site power infrastructure to charge the batteries.
Additionally, the company claims they are quieter, have faster refueling times, can operate for up to five days on a single charge, can be used indoors, and will reduce transportation costs due to their weight.
The first hydrogen-powered access platform is scheduled to roll off the Niftylift assembly line and be delivered to Speedy Hire later this month.
Dan Evans, Chief Executive of Speedy Hire, said: “This world-first technology is a game changer for UK construction companies as it allows them to start using equipment powered by a zero emission fuel such as hydrogen. “.
“Our investment in this partnership with Niftylift allows us to accelerate the sustainable and technological evolution of the sectors in which we operate and supports our ambitious plan to become a net zero emissions business by 2040.”
Based in Merseyside, the group rents out a wide range of tools and equipment including crowd control booms, hydraulic breakers, generators and crane forks.
Large scale UK infrastructure projects he has worked on include the Thames Tideway tunnel, Crossrail and the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset.
It has gradually increased its offering of sustainable products in recent years amid a growing need to decarbonise the built environment, which is responsible for a quarter of UK greenhouse gas emissions, according to a House of Commons report.
Over the past financial year, ‘green products’ provided just over half of the company’s £440.6m turnover, though its profits plunged by more than 90 per cent after an inventory check. discovered just over £20m of missing assets.
It claimed the problem was caused by inadequate “accounting controls and procedures” over many years and not by “underlying systemic fraud.”
Speedy Hire Stock they were down 1.8% at 35.55 pence as of early Tuesday afternoon, meaning they have contracted in value by around 10% since the start of the year.
