Wal-Mart Stores Inc has competed four-month-long trials of Cellex Power Products Inc's hydrogen fuel cell systems used to power 12 Crown and Nissan rider pallet trucks.

Beta trials of the Cellex CX-P150 zero-emission fuel cell product involved six Crown pallet trucks for transporting products and six Nissan Barrett units for order picking. The pallet trucks logged more than 18,500 hours of active work with operators handling more than 2,100 indoor fuelling procedures. The trials took place at two Wal-Mart distribution centres in Ohio.

Linde Group's BOC unit supplied the hydrogen fuel, Ballard Powers Systems Inc provided Mark9 LLS fuel cell stacks and OKI Systems handled service and support.

Discussions are in progress to move to an early-commercial stage with Wal-Mart purchasing the Cellex systems, a Cellex statement said.