The US Defence Logistics Agency (DLA) has ordered 18 fuel cell units from Nuvera Fuel Cells Inc for operation on forklifts at a depot in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania.

The US Department of Energy provided unspecified funding for the acquisition.

The order follows on a DLA requisition for PowerEdge RL25 units now operating on 20 Yale standup counterbalance forklifts at the agency's Susquehanna Defence Distribution Supply Depot since 2009. The depot employs 2,000 persons, operates 800 pieces of materials handling equipment around the clock and occupies 1.5 million sqft (135,000 sqm).

The York, Pennsylvania facility of Eastern Lift Truck Co's Manchester division provides services for the fleet. Manchester became an Eastern Lift Truck unit on 15 December.

Air Products and Chemicals Inc of Allentown, Pennsylvania is supplying the refueling equipment.

"Quick hydrogen refueling and the elimination of batteries in these trucks have led to increased fleet availability (at the depot)", says Robert Schafer, Nuvera vice president of sales and marketing. "Their decision to expand their fleet is a testament to their, and by extension, the Department of Defense's, belief in fuel cell-powered forklifts and in Nuvera's technology."

A PowerEdge hybrid motive power source for forklifts consists of a fuel cell power module, advanced maintenance-free batteries, compressed hydrogen storage tanks on original equipment manufacturer-recommended counterweight and a computerised control system with operator interface.

Unlike lead-acid batteries, PowerEdge stays in the truck and is refueled in less than two minutes.

On 7 February, Nuvera disclosed its Billerica headquarters had achieved certification under ISO 9001:2008. Global accreditation body Perry Johnson Registrars of Troy, Michigan conducted the audit.