GM, Hydrogenics demonstrate hydrogen-powered forklift

OSHAWA, Ontario-General Motors of Canada Limited and Hydrogenics Corporation say commercially viable hydrogen-powered industrial vehicles are closer to the market than many people think.

The companies demonstrated a fuel cell vehicle supported by an onsite hydrogen fuelling station at GM’s Oshawa facility Feb. 1.

Hydrogenics is leading a consortium of partners to develop, demonstrate and move fuel cell-powered forklifts toward commercialization. The project is being partially funded with a $1.45 million contribution from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC).

“This trial of hydrogen-powered forklift trucks at GM’s car plant in Oshawa is just one example of the steps GM and its partners are taking as we head down the road to the hydrogen economy,” said David Paterson, vice-president, corporate and environmental affairs, GM Canada.

“Demonstration projects like this are critical to the development of fuel cell technology. With predictable duty cycles, lift trucks are an ideal application from which to learn, and a large plant like ours, where external elements are not a factor, is an ideal place in which to conduct a trial like this.”

Hydrogenics, in partnership with GM Canada, demonstrated the hydrogen fuel cell-powered forklift and a Hydrogenics HyLYZER hydrogen refueling station. Because the HyLYZER refueling station is compact – with easy connection points – it can be transported easily from site to site.

The HyLYZER can produce a variable amount of hydrogen, depending on requirements, and it can refuel a forklift in a fraction of the time that the batteries can be changed or recharged on a battery-powered unit, said the company.

“Currently, industrial vehicles contribute almost 13 percent of the global total of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions,” said Pierre Rivard, president and CEO of Hydrogenics.

“We believe that one of the first commercial uses for hydrogen powered-vehicles will be in industrial vehicle fleets, such as forklifts, where dedicated on-site refuelling stations can meet immediate refuelling needs. Fuel cell-powered forklifts are ideal for indoor facilities, such as factories and warehouses, because they produce no exhaust emissions, and they have significant operational advantages over traditional battery-powered forklifts. We have always known that being environmentally friendly is not enough on its own to sell this technology. It simply has to be better than what people use now,” he said.