Lower Thames Crossing Fleet to Reach 150 Zero-Emission Machines

More than 30 zero-emission machines are now at work on the £10bn Lower Thames Crossing, and National Highways expects the diesel-free fleet to reach 150 machines at peak construction in 2028.

Work on the new road and tunnel under the River Thames began in early 2026. The project runs exclusively on electric, HVO and hydrogen powered equipment and machinery, according to the project team.

The machines currently on site include 20-tonne excavators, rollers, tractors, telehandlers and hydrogen generators.

No diesel has been permitted on Lower Thames Crossing construction sites since 2025 — a first for a major British infrastructure project. The diesel ban predates the start of construction itself, embedding the zero-emission requirement into the project from the outset rather than phasing it in.

The scale of the commitment distinguishes the scheme from earlier UK infrastructure projects that trialled low-carbon plant on isolated work packages. On the Lower Thames Crossing, the restriction applies across all construction sites, covering everything from earthmoving to power generation.

Matt Palmer, Chief Executive Officer of the Lower Thames Crossing, said: "We're making real progress on the Lower Thames Crossing, and our ambition to make this the greenest road ever built in the UK means we're cutting carbon on a scale that hasn't been tried before."

Palmer framed the fleet as a proof of concept for the wider construction sector. He said: "By putting these zero-emissions machines to work, we're showing that the construction industry can break its reliance on diesel and these innovative low-carbon approaches can become normal practice on projects across the UK."

The growth trajectory — from roughly 30 machines today to 150 by 2028 — signals that the project's plant demand will expand fivefold while holding the zero-emission line. That expansion will test whether suppliers can deliver electric, HVO and hydrogen equipment at volume, and whether the operating economics of a diesel-free fleet hold up as the scheme moves through its heaviest earthworks phases.

For National Highways, the project doubles as a live experiment in decarbonised construction logistics. If the fleet scales as planned, the Lower Thames Crossing will offer the UK construction industry its largest dataset yet on running major infrastructure works without diesel.