Hydrogen-powered forklifts in warehouses: Key benefits and considerations
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Traditional warehouses are energy-intensive facilities. From HVAC and lighting to material handling, running a warehouse involves a ton of energy consumption.
Case in point–warehousing activities account for nearly 11% of total greenhouse emissions in the logistics sector.
However, with growing concerns about global warming and climate change, many companies are looking for ways to make their warehouses more sustainable. While there are several ways to minimize the carbon footprint of warehousing operations, hydrogen fuel cell-powered forklifts are gaining traction.
In January 2024, Amazon replaced regular forklift batteries with hydrogen fuel cells across 80 fulfillment centers in North America. Prominent players in the automotive industry, including BMW and Ford, are also following in the e-commerce giant’s footsteps.
These developments beg the question–are hydrogen-powered forklifts worth the hype? Let’s find out.
The drawbacks of electric battery-powered forklifts
Before hydrogen fuel rose to the forefront, most warehouses relied on forklifts powered by fuels like diesel, gasoline, and propane. As concerns over greenhouse gas emissions grew, many organizations switched to battery-powered forklifts.
While battery-operated forklifts are safe from an environmental perspective, they come with several challenges. For starters, there’s the issue of recharging these batteries, which is a time-consuming process.
Even if you keep fully charged batteries in stock, switching them over can take quite a while, which leads to more downtime. That, in turn, affects productivity and skyrockets costs. You’ll also have to reserve a section of the warehouse to store these batteries, resulting in inefficient utilization of the available space.
Moreover, carrying these bulky batteries around posed safety risks for warehouse employees. For instance, the electrolyte used in lead-acid batteries is corrosive and can cause severe burns if it comes into contact with the skin.
The benefits of hydrogen-powered forklifts
The limitations of lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries have compelled warehouse operators and business owners to look for other fuel sources. Hydrogen fuel cells, with their environmentally-friendly operation and optimal cost and time savings, have emerged as a suitable alternative.
Simply put, a hydrogen fuel cell uses a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity. The electricity is used to power vehicles like forklifts. The only byproducts of this chemical reaction include water and heat, making a hydrogen fuel cell more sustainable than diesel or gas-powered vehicles.
Unlike electric batteries, a hydrogen fuel cell is integrated into a vehicle’s engine and generates power on board. That, in turn, eliminates the need to recharge or replace batteries. Instead, you can refuel the power cell in minutes, resulting in less downtime and improved productivity and cost-effectiveness.
It’s also worth noting that the consistent power output of hydrogen fuel cells allows forklifts to maintain optimal performance throughout the day. The maintenance costs are lower, too, as these systems include fewer moving parts.
The efficiency gains and cost savings have prompted established giants like Amazon, Walmart, and Honda to adopt hydrogen fuel-powered forklifts in their warehouses.
Potential roadblocks and how to overcome them
Despite the benefits of hydrogen-powered forklifts, widespread adoption is still a far-fetched reality. Given that hydrogen cell technology is relatively new, the refueling infrastructure isn’t as readily available.
Also, hydrogen is a highly flammable gas, which makes storage and transportation complicated and risk-prone. Typically, storing hydrogen gas requires you to compress it at high pressure or cool it down to liquefy it. Both processes are energy-intensive and defeat the purpose of using hydrogen fuel in the first place.
However, modern solid-state hydrogen storage solutions are helping overcome these challenges. This technology uses novel nanomaterials with exceptional hydrogen adsorption capabilities.
According to H2MOF, the use of these nanomaterials helps store hydrogen gas at low pressure and ambient temperatures. That, in turn, reduces safety concerns when stocking hydrogen gas near warehouses.
Hydrogen fuel cell forklifts: The final verdict
In 2018, more than 20,000 hydrogen-fuel-powered forklifts were in use across manufacturing facilities, stores, and warehouses in the US. They offer several benefits, including zero emissions, hassle-free refueling, and improved performance.
Furthermore, modern technologies like solid-state hydrogen storage are helping simplify the refueling infrastructure. They make it possible to store hydrogen gas at low pressure and ambient temperatures, minimizing the safety risks associated with conventional hydrogen storage.
That makes hydrogen fuel cells an ideal choice for replacing traditional electric batteries in forklifts. As more companies take steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their warehousing activities, hydrogen-powered forklifts will become more prevalent.
