Fuel Cell Powered Forklifts Built for Demo Project

Fuel cell forklift (Dantruck A/S)

A fleet of 30 forklift trucks that run on hydrogen fuel cells are being built and tested for use at ports and loading docks in Europe.  The trucks are being built under the auspices of the HyLIFT-DEMO project, funded by the EU.

The 2.5 ton forklifts are being built by the Danish forklift manufacturer Dantruck A/S, with fuel cells developed by H2 Logic, also in Denmark. The truck houses fuel cell power station runs on hydrogen, and delivers power to its electric motor, emitting only water vapor. H2 Logic is establishing and will operate the hydrogen refueling infrastructure.

The industrial industrial research organization SINTEF, in Norway, will perform lab tests to determine performance of the fuel cells over time. SINTEF will also gather and analyze feedback from the trials of the 30 demonstration trucks.

The knowledge gained in this process will be used to improve the control system and optimize operation, to ensure that the fuel cell can meet commercial requirements of the market. The project aims to make the trucks commercially available in 2013.

Read more: Energy Department Funding New Fuel Cell R&D

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