General Motors of Canada Ltd. and Hydrogenics Corporation have demonstrated that commercially viable hydrogen-powered industrial vehicles are closer to the market than many people think.
Hydrogenics is leading a consortium of partners to develop, demonstrate and move fuel cell-powered forklifts toward commercialization. This is the first time a fuel cell vehicle supported by an onsite hydrogen fuelling station has been demonstrated at a GM facility. This project is being partially funded with a $1.45 million contribution from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). SDTC is a foundation created by the Government of Canada that operates a $550 million fund to support the development and demonstration of clean technologies that address issues of climate change, clean air, water and soil quality.
Said David Paterson, vice- president, corporate and environmental affairs, GM Canada, “Demonstration projects like this are critical to the development of fuel cell technology. With predictable duty cycles, lift trucks are an ideal application from which to learn, and a large plant like ours, where external elements are not a factor, is an ideal place in which to conduct a trial like this.”
Hydrogenics, in partnership with GM Canada, demonstrated the hydrogen fuel cell-powered forklift and a Hydrogenics HyLYZER hydrogen refueling station. Because the HyLYZER refueling station is compact — with easy connection points — it can be transported easily from site to site. The HyLYZER can produce a variable amount of hydrogen, depending on requirements, and it can refuel a forklift in a fraction of the time that the batteries can be changed or recharged on a battery-powered unit.
“Currently, industrial vehicles contribute almost 13 percent of the global total of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions,” said Pierre Rivard, president and CEO of Hydrogenics. “We believe that one of the first commercial uses for hydrogen powered-vehicles will be in industrial vehicle fleets, such as forklifts, where dedicated on-site refuelling stations can meet immediate refuelling needs. Fuel cell-powered forklifts are ideal for indoor facilities, such as factories and warehouses, because they produce no exhaust emissions, and they have significant operational advantages over traditional battery-powered forklifts. We have always known that being environmentally friendly is not enough on its own to sell this technology. It simply has to be better than what people use now.”
Consortium members include Deere & Company, FedEx Canada, General Motors of Canada, NACCO Materials Handling Group and the Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance. SDTC’s funding supports testing and refinement of the technology, as part of the development and demonstration process.
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