Trials of hydrogen fuel cells underway

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 11/1/2004

Two companies that are working jointly to develop hydrogen power for lift trucks say initial availability may not be that far away.

BOC, which provides indoor hydrogen refueling facilities, and Cellex Power Products, which would provide the hydrogen power units for trucks, have announced that customer trials are underway. The trials are at Wal-Mart distribution centers and elsewhere in the United States and Canada. They should be concluded by year end. While the suppliers did not say what types of lift trucks are being tested, Cellex has said in the past that it is working on rider pallet trucks.

"These trials will show how hydrogen fuel cells can improve truck productivity significantly by removing the downtime and performance loss of battery-powered trucks," says John Carolin, global director, hydrogen energy at BOC (www.boc.com). He says hydrogen reduces the health and safety risks of lead acid batteries. Refueling stations are also said to require less floor space than most battery recharging stations.

The current trials are the next step in a program that began in early 2002, says Tom Hoying, vice president, sales and marketing, Cellex (www.cellexpower.com).