The Arctic is unforgiving to the engines of most vehicles. In extreme cold, diesel freezes in pipes and thickens, lithium-ion batteries discharge and degrade in blocks, and horses refuse to leave their stalls, digging all four hooves into the doorframe. That leaves reindeer, but it's hard to load anything heavier than a tent on them.

One potential solution for the polar vehicle fleet could be a hydrogen engine—this was prominently announced by MIPT at Innoprom 2024. Institute engineers presented three solutions to the public: an all-terrain vehicle, a drone and a snowmobile, and in cooperation with Belarusian partners—a mining dump truck.

The advantages of the hydrogen engine in extreme temperatures are clear—it doesn't freeze even at –60°C. According to Alexey Levchenko, Head of the STI Competence Centre for New and Mobile Energy Source Technologies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, the drone can fly for up to 2.5 hours at speeds up to 50 km/h. This is 2–4 times better than the performance of current battery-powered electric UAVs. The drone can carry a 2 kg payload while weighing only 1.5 kg itself.

However, the hydrogen engine shows its full potential in Arctic all-terrain vehicles. A joint project by MIPT engineers and companies All-Terrain Vehicles for the North, Kubo and Hydrogen Energy, the Rusak K-10 has a range of up to 400–500 km on rough terrain. The fuel cell is powered by six 1,200-litre cylinders at 350 bar pressure, producing about 120 kW of power. The vehicle has positive buoyancy, its low-pressure tyres minimally impact the environment, and distilled water flows from the exhaust. Currently, this is the most eco-friendly mode of transport available 'in the metal' that could potentially traverse the tundra.

Experts highlight that the hydrogen engine excels not only in its technical specifications but also in its scalability potential. It's versatile enough to be installed in anything from a snowmobile to a mining dump truck. Moreover, a hydrogen engine's efficiency starts at 45%, while a traditional internal combustion engine barely reaches 35% at its peak. The refuelling speed is incomparable to electric vehicles—for instance, it takes only half an hour for a mining dump truck. BelAZ has now produced prototypes that will undergo testing on Sakhalin. The long-term economic viability of implementing the new engine after several years of operation remains uncertain. In terms of fuel costs, dump truck owners will definitely come out ahead—hydrogen is 30–40% cheaper than diesel, depending on the brand.

As always, the devil is in the details. Despite its undeniable advantages, the hydrogen engine has several significant drawbacks. Firstly, there's the cost of the engine itself. It's complex and contains precious metals, primarily platinum. Platinum serves as a catalyst applied to the membrane electrodes, converting compressed hydrogen into electricity and water vapour. While mass production could eventually overcome the high cost, certain conditions necessary for the initial launch have not yet materialised. Secondly, hydrogen is hazardous. The gas is highly volatile, and in case of a cylinder leak, it would quickly fill all available space. One spark is all it takes for a car to meet the same fiery fate as the Hindenburg airship, complete with flames, flying debris and an ejected driver. In June 2019, a hydrogen filling station in Norway exploded, with a shockwave felt as far as 28 km away. Following the incident, similar stations across the country were shut down and car sales were put on hold.

Certainly, these aren't insurmountable challenges—the evolution of internal combustion engines and the automotive industry proves that with time and advanced manufacturing, almost any problem can be solved. If hydrogen engines become widespread in the Arctic, they'll likely soon make their way into mainstream automotive production. The cornerstone project, however, is the Snezhinka ISS, where extensive testing of the technology will take place.

Image attribution: Shutterstock