While the lift truck industry has been buzzing with news about hydrogen fuel cells, a California company called Oorja Protonics (www.oorjaprotonics.com) has been quietly developing its own fuel cell technology based not on hydrogen, but on methanol.

Last month, the company released its first product, the OorjaPac (Oorja is the Sanskrit word for energy). Instead of fully replacing lead-acid batteries, says CEO Sanjiv Malhotra, the OorjaPac works as an on-board battery charger. It fits into a lift truck's existing battery compartment alongside a small lead-acid battery, he says, and continuously charges that battery as the vehicle operates.

Rather than using hydrogen like other fuel cells on the market, the OorjaPac gets its energy from methanol. Liquid methanol is more affordable, more available and easier to use than compressed hydrogen gas, Malhotra says, and it offers the same benefits of quick and easy refueling.

And while many hydrogen fuel cell providers are still developing their technology, he says, the OorjaPac is tested and ready for use. “We are not selling an R&D dream,” he says. “This is a full commercial solution we are selling.”

New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI), a joint manufacturing facility shared by General Motors and Toyota, has been piloting the OorjaPac. “In an increasingly competitive global market, savings of even minutes can scale dramatically,” says Ernesto Gonzalez-Beltran, senior VP of manufacturing operations at NUMMI. “OorjaPac is an undeniable technological advance in that it helps us eliminate literally hours of non-productive downtime while reducing our plant's carbon footprint.”

Oorja Protonics claims OorjaPac customers can expect payback on their investment in 18 to 24 months.