The MHEDA Journal Online Examines Hydrogen Forklifts
Share:
Material handling distributors discuss the viability of hydrogen fuel cells.
Dewitt, NY: The MHEDA Journal Online (http://www.TheMhedaJournal.org), is the leading online magazine for the forklift, conveyor, storage & handling, and general material handling equipment industries. As part of its continued commitment to highlighting the biggest and most important issues in the material handling industry, the site has a feature called "On the Edge" for discussing hot-button industry issues. According to a study done by Fuel Cells 2000 entitled State of the States: Fuel Cells in America, the United States is the world leader in fuel cell forklift deployments, with more than 1,500 forklifts deployed in 2010. For more than 15 years, hydrogen has been forecasted to become a dominant player in the forklift industry. Why haven't hydrogen forklifts attained this goal and will it ever come to pass?
"The biggest challenge is the availability of the fuel," says Bill Ryan, vice president and general manager at LiftOne in Charlotte, NC. While hydrogen is one of Earth's most abundant resources, harnessing and distributing it is still difficult. Ryan explains, "For fuel cell forklifts to be cost-effective, customers would have to have a huge fleet. They would need something like 50 forklifts running three shifts per day, seven days per week. A fleet that big can offset the considerable cost associated with trucking fuel in or converting the hydrogen from a gas to a liquid."
What will come first, the demand for hydrogen or a cost-effective supply? "It's like the chicken and the egg," says Ryan. "Given the way the economy has gone for the last three years, nobody is interested in gambling and putting supply out there to see if there will be a demand for it. If fuel cells were to attain a dominant market share, it would be because of the automotive industry. If the automotive industry can figure out a way to make hydrogen fuel available in a cost-justified manner, then the forklift industry could benefit."
Lift Atlanta President Mark Milovich sums up the issue. "The main issue is infrastructure. It's incredibly expensive to get hydrogen into a plant to fuel up the trucks. The fuel cell is a great idea, but it is at least another six to ten years away before it becomes a real viable option."
To learn more about hydrogen fuel cell forklifts, read the entire article on The MHEDA Journal Online.
http://www.themhedajournal.org/index.php/2011/07/will-hydrogen-ever-be-a-dominant-force/. The MHEDA Journal is published quarterly, in January, April, July and October. For more information, contact Steve Guglielmo, content editor of The MHEDA Journal, (315) 445-2347, email: steve@datakey.org.
About MHEDA
Founded in 1954, the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) is the premier source for manufacturing knowledge, education and networking. Through its member journals (www.TheMhedaJournal.org), e-magazines, newsletters and industry wiki (www.wikimheda.org), MHEDA connects the manufacturers of storage & handling, lift trucks and conveyor equipment and distribution leaders for the purpose of delivering optimal solutions to the users of those products. MHEDA publications are the industry's voice for all matters related to the latest technology and the most up-to-date processes spanning the movement and storage of all materials. A 501(c)3 organization, MHEDA members span all of North America.
