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ABOVE: Three different
Toyota machines deploying
GenDrive hydrogen solutions
from Plug Power
RIGHT: A Hyster forklift
powered by Nuvera hydrogen
fuel cells
forkli s,” says Skiker. “ e HFC
forkli s will break even battery forkli
around 2023 as highlighted in the
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
trajectory of forkli s.”
ere are more power source
options for forkli s than ever before.
LaFevers comments that part of
Hyster’s job as a li truck OEM is to
help educate its customers on the new
advanced technologies and
improvements to traditional power
sources. “We look to match customers
with whatever power source matches
them best,” he says. “Since Hyster
o ers access to a broad range of power
options, the power selection choice is
made purely based on the customers’
interest – not a need to push a
particular technology.”
80%
The extent of the Toyota
Material Handling electric
forklift range that can
be alternatively
powered by HFC
Hydrogen Europe’s stated objective
is to promote hydrogen technologies.
It currently includes 160 industry
companies, 78 research organisations
and 21 national associations. Key
players of the fuel cell forkli business
rank among its membership and
include Plug Power.
“We support the hydrogen forkli
industry as part of the hydrogen
economy, and as a proven hydrogen
application which is becoming more
cost competitive,” says Skiker.
Toyota Material Handling supports
its customers in the dialogue on electric
and HFC forkli s as a way to support
decarbonising operations and meet zero
emissions targets. e company says that
80% of its electric forkli s range can
alternatively operate with hydrogen fuel
cells so far, and has several customer
sites (typically 24/7 operations) upand
running, which are already
bene ting from hydrogen fuel cells.
Although interest in the technology
is high, the operational sites in EU are
still in their infancy. “Many actors
need play their part across industry
and across government,” says Walby.
is means energy industries plus EU
initiatives such as the Fuel Cell Joint
Undertaking (FCHJU) and local
government supporting hydrogen as
a central part of decarbonisation.
“Connecting up the dots, the more
cross-industry activity in this area, the
better,” says Walby. “We need to
cooperate to support green hydrogen
production, share infrastructure costs,
and share project costs connected with
distribution of hydrogen. We all need
to work, with help from governments,
to show hydrogen as an integral
part of decarbonising our society, the
same way we view wind and solar
supporting the generation of green
electricity today.” iVT
MYTH BUSTING
There are several myths that have grown up around
HFC lift trucks such as that they are less safe, are only
suitable for large fl eets or that their only benefi ts
are environmental.
It’s true that the technology has its challenges as
well as benefi ts, but these are surmountable. For
example, although hydrogen is more expensive than
electricity, as hydrogen becomes more popular, in
industrial vehicles as well as in commercial and
automotive, costs will come down. And while
hydrogen is certainly fl ammable, it is no more
dangerous than ordinary petrol/gasoline that is
used widely today, and in fact, because in the event
of an accident it rapidly dissipates as a gas, many
consider it to be safer.
“New fuelling options – like leasing and pay-as-yougo
– can make hydrogen fuel cells a sensible choice
for more than just the largest lift truck fl eets,” says
Kevin Paramore, emerging technology manager with
Yale Material Handling.
Nevertheless, it is in the larger fl eets of over 50
trucks that the benefi ts of hydrogen remain easiest to
attain. “You need forklifts companies, fuel cell
companies, gas companies, infrastructure and
permitting for use of hydrogen, ideally government
support for deployment and funding, and inside the
customer a strong commitment all working as a
team,” says Craig Walby, director of products, Toyota
Material Handling Europe. “With this we can deliver
effective solutions. Typically these fl eets also need to
be ones that are intensive users, with multiple shifts,
where we can eliminate the use of battery change and
costs/time associated with this into the customers
operational business case.”
36 iVTInternational.com June 2020
/iVTInternational.com