Perkins is moving its hydrogen-hybrid industrial open power unit (IOPU) into real-world machine testing, with the system being installed in a Terex Ecotec TDS 820 high-torque shredder at Perkins’ research and development facility in Peterborough, UK.
The installation is the latest stage of Project Coeus, a three-year programme led by Perkins in partnership with e-powertrain specialist Equipmake and Loughborough University’s Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering. The project is supported by £11.14 million in UK government funding through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK.
The fuel-configurable hybrid power unit has been developed as a direct replacement for a conventional diesel IOPU. It combines a configurable spark-ignited Perkins engine with Equipmake’s heavy-duty electric motor, silicon carbide inverter and associated power electronics.
The system can be configured to operate on hydrogen, methanol, ethanol or biomethane. The approach is intended to allow off-highway equipment manufacturers to adopt lower-carbon fuels and hybrid technology without fundamentally redesigning their existing machines.
The power unit is based on Perkins’ 1200 Series platform. The hydrogen-hybrid version developed under Project Coeus delivers a total output of 379 kW and 1,938 Nm of torque at 1,200-1,500 rpm. The integrated motor-generator unit provides additional power and instantaneous torque to support engine performance and transient response.
Perkins’ Customer Machine Engineering Team is carrying out the integration of the power unit into the Terex Ecotec TDS 820. Once installation is completed, the demonstrator will undergo a series of tests at Perkins’ proving site in Peterborough.
The machine testing will assess the system’s ability to handle the shredder’s peak-load demands and transient-response requirements. It will also provide practical experience of operating and handling hydrogen-based power technology in a working off-highway machine.
Andy Curtis, Customer Solutions Director at Perkins, said demonstrating the system in an actual machine was a key milestone for the development team and reflected the progress made over the previous two years.
Terex Ecotec’s recycling and environmental equipment was selected for the demonstration because shredders operate under demanding load conditions. The TDS 820 provides a high-performance application in which the hybrid system can be tested under the demanding power requirements of material processing.
Project Coeus has been exploring four spark-ignited fuels: hydrogen, ethanol, methanol and biomethane. Perkins has developed a configurable combustion platform to support these fuels, while the hybrid system has been designed as a plug-and-play power solution capable of meeting global emissions requirements.
The hydrogen-hybrid power unit was first publicly displayed at CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas earlier in 2026 following extensive development testing. The move from development and test-cell work to integration into a working shredder represents the next stage of the project.
The technology is being developed to offer off-highway equipment manufacturers a route towards lower-carbon power without requiring fundamental changes to machine architecture. The machine testing in the Terex Ecotec shredder will provide data on the performance and practical suitability of the system in a demanding application.