FAQs

Plant insurance goes by several different names which often mean similar things, including engineering insurance, contractors' insurance or contractors all risk insurance. However it's referred to, it covers your equipment against accidental damage, fire and theft to protect against the financial implication of these circumstances. It's usually valid anywhere in the UK - including while in transit - and is also available for equipment you're hiring in to cover you while it's in your possession.

When it comes to how is hydrogen fuel made, it is currently produced at scale around the world for a number of industrial processes, including refining, fertiliser production, steel manufacturing, and glass production. So if you’re thinking ‘how is hydrogen made,’ production is via several methods, and hydrogen is typically denoted a colour dependent on the method used.

Green hydrogen is produced in an electrolyser by splitting water (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O), using renewable electricity. This process is called electrolysis. The hydrogen is then compressed, and transported for use in our machines.

JCB is proving out the process with customers in the UK. Hydrogen is produced at Tyseley Park in Birmingham, and then transported to site where JCB machines are at work. All we need now is more Tyseley’s to provide zero carbon fuel to machines working in all corners of the world. 

Yes, it’s made possible by mixing the hydrogen with air and compressing it in the engine’s cylinders. Then a spark plug ignites the mixture to cause a controlled explosion, which generates mechanical power to drive the engine’s piston and power a device or vehicle.

So is a hydrogen combustion engine possible? Yes, more than just possible…11 licensing authorities across Europe have now given permission for JCB’s hydrogen engine to be sold across Europe, and JCB’s hydrogen engine has already won the Royal Automobile Club’s Dewar Trophy: one of the oldest and most prestigious awards in British Automotive Engineering. 

JCB hydrogen engines are built on the production line in our UK engine factory in Derbyshire, where over 40,000 JCB diesel engines are assembled per year. The team is Derbyshire has been working on the design and development of the engine for over 3 years, and over 23,000hrs of testing has been completed in the on-site test cells.

Over 130 hydrogen engines have now been built, which are powering backhoe loaders, Loadall telescopic handlers and generator sets. Over 50,000 hours of testing has now been between machines and test cells, proving that JCB hydrogen engines and machines are reliable, durable, and efficient. We’ve invested £100 million in JCB Hydrogen, because we’re always looking for a better way.

Construction sites are full of highly specialised, very expensive equipment - so it's essential you have plant and machinery insurance in place to protect you against any potential issues. Given the intense nature of the work these machines are doing, even the most rugged, robust models are open to accidental damage - and their high cost could invite theft, especially if construction sites aren't fully secure. 

Therefore it's vital to have plant machinery insurance that covers against accidental damage, theft and fire - just like the services offered by JCB Insurance. 

Maximise efficiency and safety when using your JCB Loadall with LiveLink. You’ll find exclusive safety alerts like ‘Movement with High Boom Angle’, ‘LLMC Override Mode’ and ‘Operator Not Wearing Seatbelt’ to improve your operational practices.

Telematics is hugely important in our Generator range. LiveLink provides reports on data like voltage and current across 3 phases, fuel level timeline, engine operation across load bands and exported power tracking.

You’ll be able to monitor exclusive performance metrics on your JCB Backhoe Loader when your machine is idling, loading, roading and excavating, and get detailed data within these categories and more.

3 Phase Powerpacks are LiveLink-enabled, bringing you remote monitoring, location updates, and guaranteed power when and where you need it. You can also remotely configure socket timers for control onsite, even when you’re not there.

Yes, integrate your entire fleet into one centralised location to avoid logging into multiple different systems. Better yet, view everything together remotely in the LiveLink App.