H2 Logic and DanTruck A/S have collaborated to develop a new hydrogen-powered forklift with a fully integrated H2Drive TM fuel cell system.

A European consortium is currently identifying end-users for a fuel cell forklift demonstration that is expected to be the last stage in the commercialisation process in Europe.

Steffen Møller-Holst, SINTEF's research manager for hydrogen and fuel cells, tells Forkliftaction.com News that the HyLIFT-DEMO involving 30 DanTruck forklifts is a large-scale project aiming for the market introduction of fuel cell forklifts by 2013.

"The specific outcome of the project will be the successful demonstration that fuel cell technology complies with the requirements for market introduction, [in terms of] cost, durability, reliability, safety, etc," he explains.

The project, which uses 2.5T forklifts that were recently showcased at CeMAT in Hannover, Germany, is co-funded by the European Joint Undertaking for Fuel Cells and Hydrogen FCH JU.

Fuel cell hybrid power systems developer H2 Logic and forklift manufacturer DanTruck A/S have collaborated since 2006 to develop a new hydrogen-powered forklift with a fully integrated H2Drive TM fuel cell system from H2 Logic. The result is a new 2.5T forklift for heavy-duty applications.

H2 Logic is establishing the hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and will take care of its operation while gases and engineering company Linde provides advice on hydrogen supply.

Research organisations SINTEF and JRC are performing accelerated tests on durability, vibration, shock and climate resistance on the next-generation fuel cell system. The Technical University of Denmark will assist H2 Logic in optimising the fuel cell hybrid system.

TÜV SÜD supports the third-party safety certification of the fuel cell systems, the integration into the forklifts and the hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. The European Hydrogen Association (EHA) and the Italian Federation of Scientific and Technical Associations are working on a guidance document for conducting project activities on fuel cell forklifts to help regional and local parties in setting up their own projects.

The project is co-ordinated by the consultancy Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH (LBST), which will also carry out project-monitoring and assessment activities to report the performance of the hydrogen forklifts and the refuelling infrastructure, and will assist in the development of the commercialisation plan.

The main objectives of the HyLIFT-DEMO project are a two-year demonstration of at least 30 units of 2.5-3.5T forklifts with a fully integrated third-generation fuel cell system and the demonstration of the associated hydrogen refuelling infrastructure at end-user sites, accompanied by planning and ensuring the initiation of a commercial market deployment by end of 2013.

"In the US, there are already more than 1,000 fuel cell forklifts in daily commercial operation and Europe will be next", says HyLIFT-DEMO and project manager from LBST, Hubert Landinger.