Toyota and Plug to bring forklift and fuel cell solutions to distribution centres
Published by Ellie Brosnan,
Editorial Assistant
Global Hydrogen Review,
Toyota Material Handling Europe and Plug Power, supply partners of STEF, are set to bring hydrogen forklift and hydrogen fuel cell solutions to two of its cold storage distribution centres, in France and Spain.
STEF Group, European provider of transport and logistics services for temperature-controlled food products, has recently launched two hydrogen projects with Toyota Material Handling Europe, a supplier of hydrogen fuel cell material handling equipment, and Plug Power, a provider of end-to-end green hydrogen solutions. The two projects are located in Athis-Mons, France, and Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain. This initiative marks a significant step towards developing a comprehensive hydrogen ecosystem that integrates hydrogen production and hydrogen-powered material handling equipment.
Focus on the two hydrogen projects
STEF is incorporating green hydrogen to power its forklift at two of its sites: a transport platform in Athis-Mons close to Paris, France, and a logistics warehouse in Torrejón de Ardoz, near Madrid, Spain.
The project in France uses green hydrogen produced with renewable energy and delivered on site.
In Spain, the hydrogen is produced on site using an electrolyser – a device that uses electricity to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen. The electricity to power the electrolyser is generated by the 2.9 MW peak photovoltaic rooftop plant, enabling consumption of green and locally produced hydrogen.
The benefits of hydrogen for forklift
By using hydrogen fuel cell technology, STEF can potentially improve its forklift operator productivity.
Hydrogen-powered forklifts can be quickly refilled, in less than 3 minutes. They also offer more comfort to STEF’s collaborators in trans dock activities.
On average, a hydrogen fuel cell lasts 10 years, contributing to reducing the environmental impact across the product lifecycle.
Hydrogen as an energy carrier and fuel cells as a power solution offer many advantages when it comes to material handling operations and they can support the roadmap to decarbonise material handling operations.
These two projects are part of STEF's Moving Green climate initiative, one of whose objectives is to use 100% low-carbon energy in buildings by the end of 2025.
Toyota provides compatible fuel cell-ready forklifts
Toyota Material Handling Europe is a historic supplier of STEF. In Europe, Toyota currently services 6000 STEF forklifts.
As part of this joint initiative, Toyota Material Handling Europe will provide STEF with compatible fuel cell-ready forklift models. These forklifts will be tailored to the specific need of STEF's sites.
They are designed and manufactured with a focus on operator safety and comfort.
The two projects start off with setting up 48 forklifts in Athis-Mons, France, and 67 foklifts in Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain, cold store sites.
Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/07042025/toyota-and-plug-to-bring-forklift-and-fuel-cell-solutions-to-distribution-centres/
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