Mass uptake of hydrogen-powered industrial vehicles now one step closer thanks to large-scale deployment
The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) is a public private partnership supporting research, technological development and demonstration (RTD) activities in fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies in Europe. Its aim is to accelerate the market introduction of these technologies, realising their potential as an instrument in achieving a carbon-clean energy system. One project funded by the undertaking was HyLIFT-EUROPE. HyLIFT-EUROPE was successful in deploying 212 units of hydrogen-powered fuel cell materials handling vehicles, at two vehicle-user sites in Europe. ‘Materials handling vehicles’ refers to forklifts, warehouse trucks and other industrial vehicles, such as tow tractors, order pickers and tugger trains, for example. At the moment, materials handling vehicles are powered either by batteries or by internal combustion engines (ICEs). In the future, hydrogen-powered fuel cell drive trains may play an important role as they combine the advantages of the two incumbent technologies, namely the emission-free operations of the battery powered vehicles with the fast refuelling capability of the ICE powered vehicles. The scale of the project’s deployment proves the feasibility and reliability of fuel cell drive trains in genuine daily heavy commercial use in rugged industrial operating environments. “Thanks to the support of the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme, these are among of the first major ‘commercially viable’ deployments of hydrogen-powered fuel cell materials handling vehicles in Europe. This will facilitate and support the introduction of hydrogen as a fuel for other industrial materials handling vehicles at further sites and other industry segments,” says Mr Hubert Landinger, coordinator of the HyLIFT-EUROPE project and senior project manager at Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH (LBST). One of HyLIFT-EUROPE’s deployments is at the Carrefour warehouse located in Vendin Le Viel, which operates a fleet of 137 hydrogen powered fuel cell materials handling vehicles. The Carrefour Group is the second-largest retailer in the world and the largest in Europe. “Thanks to the deployment of 137 hydrogen powered fuel cell materials handling vehicles at Carrefour, we have the possibility, here in Europe, of showcasing the potential of this technology at scale for the first time. This might serve as starting point for a broad roll-out and as an encouragement for further stakeholders in the supply chain to join in,” says Landinger. The other deployment is located at Prelocentre in Saint-Cyr-en-Val, near Orleans. Prelocentre is a French logistics company focused on order preparation and the delivery of fruits and vegetables for the supermarket chain Grand Frais, specialised in the retail of fresh products with 140 shops in France. At the Prelocentre site, 75 hydrogen-powered fuel cell materials handling vehicles are in operation and, with the extension of the business, the fleet is increasing. Only hydrogen-powered vehicles are operated at this plant which was erected on a green field site. The consortium is very proud that it could realise the deployment of the two largest fleets of hydrogen powered fuel cell materials handling vehicles in Europe at the time being. As Landinger says: “The project paves the way for a self-sustaining market for hydrogen powered fuel cell materials handling vehicles in Europe by increasing the volumes of vehicles in operation.”
Keywords
HyLIFT-EUROPE, fuel cell, hydrogen, materials handling, forklift, warehouse truck, tow tractor, zero emission
