UK-headquartered hydrogen fuel cell developer Intelligent Energy, has announced it is deploying a fleet of 40 hydrogen-powered forklifts across two logistics hubs in the UK.

The deployment at the Lighter than Aire (LtA) Hydrogen Valley project’s logistics hubs in Yorkshire and Humber, is being financed as part of a EUR20 million (USD23 million), EU-backed hydrogen project linking production, distribution and use, Intelligent Energy states.

“The LtA project aims to accelerate large-scale hydrogen adoption across logistics, industry and mobility,” the fuel cell maker continues.

“Centred around the River Aire between Bradford and Leeds and positioned along a key transport route connecting Liverpool and Hull, the project focuses on real-world deployment in one of the UK’s busiest logistics corridors.”

Intelligent Energy explains it is working with Hyster-Yale’s UK distributor Briggs Equipment, and the forklifts will be deployed with the IE-LIFT battery box replacement (BBR) units. 

The hydrogen-powered forklifts are expected to be operational at the site from June 2028.

Intelligent Energy’s IE-LIFT is a drop-in replacement for traditional industrial battery tanks, integrating a fuel cell, buffer battery and hydrogen storage into a single compact unit. The producer says refuelling takes around three minutes.

The systems are already in commercial use including BMW’s manufacturing sites in Germany.

“The US market has set the pace in hydrogen intralogistics, with fuel cell-powered forklift trucks operating at Walmart, Amazon and other major organisations over the past decade,” explains David Fields, IE-POWER head of product line.

“Our fuel cells are proven to be robust, durable and efficient, following a successful deployment at BMW’s Leipzig plant since 2023.

“This project gives us the opportunity to deploy our IE-LIFT technology on home soil, and to demonstrate its value to operators across the UK and Europe.”