The trio will research the feasibility of producing an ammonia-fuelled engine platform which can be scaled.

Komatsu is a $43bn powerhouse in industrial equipment, operating bulldozers, dump trucks and excavators.

It would mark the first utilisation of AFC’s technology for industrial heavy equipment.

The firm has recently carved out a niche supplying its portable ammonia crackers and generators in the construction sector.

The joint development agreement is subject to the delivery of “certain milestones” which have not been specified and the timeline for delivery is unclear.

Taisuke Kusaba, Chief Technology Officer of Komatsu cited sustainability and business growth as the impetus behind the tie up.

The Japanese firm aims to cut CO2 emissions 50% by 2030 and achieve full climate neutrality by 2050.

John Wilson, CEO of AFC Energy, stressed the partnership’s importance within AFC’s commercial strategy of delivering hydrogen-to-power systems without government subsidy.

This comes as more companies roll out measures to cut diesel use in the construction industry.

However while ammonia is carbon-free, it has poor combustion properties compared with diesel, is highly toxic, and poses high corrosion risks. It also presents pollutant risks, such as with nitrous oxide emissions, and has a much lower volumetric energy density than diesel (roughly 2.5-to-3 times less).

Acciona recently trialled a hydrogen fuel-cell generator at the world’s largest copper mine in Chile, while Hitachi completed a four-week trial of a similar system at a UK construction site.

While the UK’s Construction Leadership Council aims to slash 78% of diesel on sites by 2035, there is little consensus on sustainability targets globally.