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H2 Logic, DanTruck link up to develop second-generation fuel cell forklifts
NEWS / EDITORIAL transportation with clean energy alternatives by the end of 2012. ‘While the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach serve as busy shipping hubs, the resulting air pollution has been an environmental problem for decades, impacting the quality of life in southern California,’ comments Daryl Wilson, president/CEO of Hydrogenics. ‘With Vision’s innovative Tyrano trucks, significant cost savings and cleaner air could be realized in a relatively short period of time.’ Vision Industries announced in the spring that its prototype plug-in electric/fuel cell Tyrano truck has completed the first two stages of performance testing at the LA Freightliner facilities in Whittier, California [FCB, June 2009]. Hydrogenics Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 361 3660, www.hydrogenics.com Vision Industries Corporation, Pacific Palisades, California, USA. Tel: +1 310 454 5658, www.visionindustriescorp.com Port of Los Angeles Clean Truck Program: www.portoflosangeles.org/CTP/idx_ctp.asp
MOBILE APPLICATIONS
Coca-Cola to install forklifts with Plug Power fuel cells
T
he second largest Coca-Cola bottler in the US will install 40 hydrogenpowered forklifts at its Charlotte, North Carolina production center. Plug Power will provide its Class 1 sit-down counterbalanced GenDrive™ fuel cell solution to Coca-Cola Bottling Co Consolidated early in 2010. ‘With these fuel cell materials handling units, we will be able to maintain productivity, decrease operating costs, and lower greenhouse gas emissions by 30%,’ says Coca-Cola Consolidated’s Lauren C. Steele. ‘We assessed many different technologies for our materials handling fleet, and believe the Plug Power fuel cell units give us the best overall solution.’ With Plug Power’s GenDrive fuel cell, the soft drink manufacturer is able to maintain productivity, cut operating costs, and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Operators are able to run equipment at full speed for an entire shift, maximizing efficiency. Compact hydrogen fueling stations are conveniently located throughout the facility, allowing for easy refueling. Successful product demonstrations under rigorous conditions proved GenDrive as a commercially viable power alternative for
November 2009
Coca Cola Consolidated’s high-throughput operations. ‘Coca-Cola Consolidated’s acceptance of Plug Power’s GenDrive fuel cell solution again emphasizes the commercial readiness of this product for the material handing market,’ says Tom Hoying, VP of sales for Plug Power. Connecticut-based UTC Power recently announced that it will supply two of its PureCell® Model 400 phosphoric acid fuel cell systems to provide onsite electricity and heat for the Coca-Cola Enterprises production facility in Elmsford, New York [FCB, September 2009]. Plug Power Inc, Latham, New York, USA. Tel: +1 518 782 7700, www.plugpower.com
H2 Logic, DanTruck link up to develop second-generation fuel cell forklifts
I
n Denmark, forklift manufacturer DanTruck and fuel cell integrator H2 Logic have agreed to cooperate on the development and commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell powered forklifts. The first steps towards the cooperation were taken last year, with the testing of hydrogen forklifts by end-users in Denmark. DanTruck and H2 Logic are currently developing secondgeneration hydrogen forklifts, which they expect to introduce onto the market in the first quarter of 2010. Forklifts are used considerably more intensively than cars, so the environmental and CO2 reduction benefits are much greater compared to the number of vehicles. In the most intensively used forklifts, using hydrogen in one forklift can remove an amount of CO2 equivalent to the yearly emissions from eight cars, claims DanTruck. Furthermore, forklifts are often used in large fleets in a very localized area, where hydrogen refueling stations and infrastructure can be concentrated. Apart from the environmental benefits, the improved degree of utilization compared to diesel and compressed natural gas can significantly reduce operating costs. Forklifts may be a niche market, but nevertheless, the annual world market for forklifts is worth more than US$30 billion. This business potential is a key reason for the development cooperation between DanTruck and H2 Logic. H2 Logic A/S, Herning, Denmark. Tel: +45 9627 5600, www.h2logic.com
EDITORIAL
G
oing as fast as possible isn’t generally the main aim for the fuel cell community. But there are enough people with a dominant ‘racing gene’ to ensure that sometimes speed is more important than efficiency. In late September a hydrogen fuel cell ‘car’ built by a team of engineering students at Ohio State University topped 300 mph (480 km/h) on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The Buckeye Bullet 2 landspeed streamliner racer – powered by Ballard PEM fuel cells – recorded a certified average speed of 299.91 mph over the required two runs. The racer subsequently set an average speed of 302.877 mph, which is apparently still pending certification by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) before it can be called an official record (http://blog.buckeyebullet.com). ‘This record will hold for a long time,’ believes team adviser Giorgio Rizzoni, director of Ohio State’s Center for Automotive Research (http://car.eng.ohio-state.edu). ‘I can’t see who is going to take this away from us.’ No doubt there is feverish activity elsewhere aiming to do just that… In fact it was Ford that set the previous fuel cell car land speed record, two years ago at Bonneville, with its Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 car [FCB, October 2007]. Its 207 mph record is even more astonishing given that the car was a production-based vehicle, looking very much like a standard Ford Fusion subcompact. However, Ford has since backed right off on its development of FCVs for the road, preferring to concentrate on hybrid hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles (other than its participation in the Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program, www.vfcvp.gc.ca). In terms of actually racing against others, the Formula Zero championship (www. formulazero.nl) is bringing together teams in head-to-head competition. As with the Buckeye Bullet, these hydrogen fuel cell powered karts are being developed and raced by teams of engineering students. This year’s championship saw four university-led teams – from Imperial College, TU Delft, Leuven, and Zaragoza – battle it out during the scheduled four races of the Formula Zero European Championship. The competition raced on circuits in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain, with a fifth ‘Zero Emission Grand Prix’ added in Turin, Italy in early October. The term ‘petrolhead’ is used to refer to people who enthuse about the power and performance of fast cars running on gasoline, but perhaps the increasing numbers of ‘hydrogenheads’ are starting to give them a run for their money – but with zero emissions… Steve Barrett
DanTruck A/S: www.dantruck.com
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3
MOBILE APPLICATIONS
Coca-Cola to install forklifts with Plug Power fuel cells
T
he second largest Coca-Cola bottler in the US will install 40 hydrogenpowered forklifts at its Charlotte, North Carolina production center. Plug Power will provide its Class 1 sit-down counterbalanced GenDrive™ fuel cell solution to Coca-Cola Bottling Co Consolidated early in 2010. ‘With these fuel cell materials handling units, we will be able to maintain productivity, decrease operating costs, and lower greenhouse gas emissions by 30%,’ says Coca-Cola Consolidated’s Lauren C. Steele. ‘We assessed many different technologies for our materials handling fleet, and believe the Plug Power fuel cell units give us the best overall solution.’ With Plug Power’s GenDrive fuel cell, the soft drink manufacturer is able to maintain productivity, cut operating costs, and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Operators are able to run equipment at full speed for an entire shift, maximizing efficiency. Compact hydrogen fueling stations are conveniently located throughout the facility, allowing for easy refueling. Successful product demonstrations under rigorous conditions proved GenDrive as a commercially viable power alternative for
November 2009
Coca Cola Consolidated’s high-throughput operations. ‘Coca-Cola Consolidated’s acceptance of Plug Power’s GenDrive fuel cell solution again emphasizes the commercial readiness of this product for the material handing market,’ says Tom Hoying, VP of sales for Plug Power. Connecticut-based UTC Power recently announced that it will supply two of its PureCell® Model 400 phosphoric acid fuel cell systems to provide onsite electricity and heat for the Coca-Cola Enterprises production facility in Elmsford, New York [FCB, September 2009]. Plug Power Inc, Latham, New York, USA. Tel: +1 518 782 7700, www.plugpower.com
H2 Logic, DanTruck link up to develop second-generation fuel cell forklifts
I
n Denmark, forklift manufacturer DanTruck and fuel cell integrator H2 Logic have agreed to cooperate on the development and commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell powered forklifts. The first steps towards the cooperation were taken last year, with the testing of hydrogen forklifts by end-users in Denmark. DanTruck and H2 Logic are currently developing secondgeneration hydrogen forklifts, which they expect to introduce onto the market in the first quarter of 2010. Forklifts are used considerably more intensively than cars, so the environmental and CO2 reduction benefits are much greater compared to the number of vehicles. In the most intensively used forklifts, using hydrogen in one forklift can remove an amount of CO2 equivalent to the yearly emissions from eight cars, claims DanTruck. Furthermore, forklifts are often used in large fleets in a very localized area, where hydrogen refueling stations and infrastructure can be concentrated. Apart from the environmental benefits, the improved degree of utilization compared to diesel and compressed natural gas can significantly reduce operating costs. Forklifts may be a niche market, but nevertheless, the annual world market for forklifts is worth more than US$30 billion. This business potential is a key reason for the development cooperation between DanTruck and H2 Logic. H2 Logic A/S, Herning, Denmark. Tel: +45 9627 5600, www.h2logic.com
EDITORIAL
G
oing as fast as possible isn’t generally the main aim for the fuel cell community. But there are enough people with a dominant ‘racing gene’ to ensure that sometimes speed is more important than efficiency. In late September a hydrogen fuel cell ‘car’ built by a team of engineering students at Ohio State University topped 300 mph (480 km/h) on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The Buckeye Bullet 2 landspeed streamliner racer – powered by Ballard PEM fuel cells – recorded a certified average speed of 299.91 mph over the required two runs. The racer subsequently set an average speed of 302.877 mph, which is apparently still pending certification by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) before it can be called an official record (http://blog.buckeyebullet.com). ‘This record will hold for a long time,’ believes team adviser Giorgio Rizzoni, director of Ohio State’s Center for Automotive Research (http://car.eng.ohio-state.edu). ‘I can’t see who is going to take this away from us.’ No doubt there is feverish activity elsewhere aiming to do just that… In fact it was Ford that set the previous fuel cell car land speed record, two years ago at Bonneville, with its Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 car [FCB, October 2007]. Its 207 mph record is even more astonishing given that the car was a production-based vehicle, looking very much like a standard Ford Fusion subcompact. However, Ford has since backed right off on its development of FCVs for the road, preferring to concentrate on hybrid hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles (other than its participation in the Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program, www.vfcvp.gc.ca). In terms of actually racing against others, the Formula Zero championship (www. formulazero.nl) is bringing together teams in head-to-head competition. As with the Buckeye Bullet, these hydrogen fuel cell powered karts are being developed and raced by teams of engineering students. This year’s championship saw four university-led teams – from Imperial College, TU Delft, Leuven, and Zaragoza – battle it out during the scheduled four races of the Formula Zero European Championship. The competition raced on circuits in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain, with a fifth ‘Zero Emission Grand Prix’ added in Turin, Italy in early October. The term ‘petrolhead’ is used to refer to people who enthuse about the power and performance of fast cars running on gasoline, but perhaps the increasing numbers of ‘hydrogenheads’ are starting to give them a run for their money – but with zero emissions… Steve Barrett
DanTruck A/S: www.dantruck.com
Fuel Cells Bulletin
3