Kohler presents new KDH hydrogen IC engine

The Kohler KDH H2 IC engine will help reduce carbon emissions (Photo: DPI)

Following on from the recent announcement that Kohler is to spin off its Energy Group to Platinum Equity, the company has presented its new KDH direct injection hydrogen internal combustion engine at the Agritechnica trade fair (Hall 15, Stand G18).

The engine is intended to underline Kohler’s commitment to developing technologies which can reduce environmental impact through decarbonisation.

The new KDH engine is based on the existing 2.5-litre four-cylinder KDI 2504 TCR, with the diesel injection system replaced by a setup suited to hydrogen fuel. Speaking about the new model, Vincenzo Perrone, president of Kohler Engines, told Diesel Progress that the new engine is a drop-in replacement for the diesel variant.

“Apart from the fuel line, which has to be changed due to the fuel type, virtually nothing in the engine bay needs to be changed to support the KDH engine,” said Perrone.

The KDH engine shares a series of components with the KDI model, including the cooling circuit, power take-off and flywheel and engine mounting points.

The choice of direct rather than port injection has allowed the engine to deliver diesel levels of performance, including transient response, while avoiding issues with backfiring. The goal is to match all performance criteria of the H2 engine with diesel, including maximum power output, plus peak and low-end torque.

The KDH hydrogen fuel engine is expected to be available to order by 2026.