Perkins, Equipmake collaborate on H2-electric open power unit

Perkins is to supply a ‘fuel configurable’ hydrogen hybrid industrial open power unit for installation in a Terex Ecotec TDS 820 shredder for testing.

The complete unit features a Perkins 1206 hydrogen internal combustion engine paired with a motor generator unit supplied by Equipmake.

Equipmake further delivered the silicon carbide inverter and associated electronics.

Hydrogen hybrid IOPU co-developed by Equipmake (Photo: Equipmake)

Total power output is 397 kW (508 hp) and 1,938 Nm of torque at between 1,200 and 1,500 rpm.

Designed under the the Project Coeus collaboration, the new power unit can be configured to use hydrogen, methanol, ethanol or biomethane.

The open power unit was first unveiled at ConExpo-Con/Agg in Las Vegas earlier in 2026.

Work to fit the Terex machine with the new power unit will be carried out by the Perkins’ Customer Machine Engineering Team in Peterborough, UK.

The hybrid system has been designed as a direct replacement for the existing diesel engine. The tech is intended to support transitioning to lower-carbon fuels without the fundamental need for machine redesign.

Ian Foley, Equipmake CEO, said: “This is a proud moment for everyone at Equipmake. Our role in Project Coeus has been to deliver a custom-designed heavy-duty electric motor and integrate that with a Perkins engine.

“The resulting hybrid IOPU can cope with the extreme demands of off-highway applications and is packaged so it can sit within a genuine drop-in replacement for a diesel power unit. Moving from the test cell into a machine as demanding as a high-performance shredder is exactly the proving ground this technology needs.”