Anyone who thought hydrogen fuel cells had been forgotten in favour of electrification need look no further than BMW to realise that the technology is still being seriously considered.
BMW Manufacturing Company is to implement a new alternative fuel platform to use hydrogen fuel cells to power the plant’s material handling equipment – this will include forklifts, tuggers and stackers. It is expected that there will be more than 85 pieces of equipment initially, forming one of the largest hydrogen fuel cell fleets in the US.
The fuel cells are said to offer a much longer operating life when compared to lead acid batteries and they provide continuous power with no loss of power when the tanks near empty. When full they run on a two kilogram fuel tank for eight-10 hours and can be refuelled in less than three minutes at an on-site hydrogen refuelling station.
BMW has already installed a storage and distribution centre as well as six on-site fuelling stations at its North American manufacturing facility in South Carolina.
With hydrogen the only source of energy for the fuel cells, BMW believes that it will avoid 1.8million kilowatt hours per year of electricity consumption at the plant.
