Plug Power's GenDrive unit

Plug Power Inc has signed a long-term agreement under which Praxair Inc will supply liquid hydrogen to Plug Power's GenKey customers throughout the US.

Praxair of Danbury, Connecticut is among the largest industrial gases companies in the world and is regarded as North America's largest liquid hydrogen producer.

Plug Power's GenKey solution consists of GenDrive fuel cell units, GenFuel hydrogen fuel and infrastructure and GenCare maintenance services. Plug Power launched its GenFuel business in January 2014 as part of the GenKey solution.

Recently, Praxair announced it is building a steam methane reformer for completion in 2015 to increase the supply of hydrogen for customers served from its liquid hydrogen plant in Niagara Falls, New York. Once operational, that facility's liquid hydrogen production capacity will increase by 50 %.

Separately, Plug Power says customer Golden State Foods Corp has deployed GenDrive hydrogen fuel cells in the materials handling fleet at a new food distribution centre in McCook, Illinois.

Plug Power will supply GenDrive fuel cells to power 39 materials handling vehicles - 11 class-2 stand-up reach lift trucks and 28 class-3 rider pallet trucks - and provide GenCare onsite maintenance and service.

Golden State Foods of Irvine, California will use the 158,300 sqft. (14,706 sqm) regional headquarters and logistics centre built on 15 acres west of Chicago to serve more than 460 McDonald's Corp restaurants in the mid-west. Other customers include Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Arby's and Taco Bell.

Latham-based Plug Power has shipped more than 6,000 GenDrive units to materials handling customers, with the systems accumulating more than 20 million hours of runtime. The units provide an alternative to the use of lead-acid batteries in powering forklifts.