Hamburg’s STILL GmbH, a leading provider of materials handling equipment and logistics solutions, has a fuel cell forklift on display at  the 29th German Logistics Congress in Berlin, among other alternative powertrain technologies.

STILL developed prototype fuel cell materials handling vehicles in 2002 and since 2003 these have been tested in various field trials. The vehicles were used, for example, at Munich and at Hamburg airport, at German logistics and transportation company HHLA and at chemical company BASF.

The trials are now moving beyond Germany. Since September of this year, two fuel cell RX 60-25 forklifts have been operating in a long-term pilot project at the Belgian retailer Colruyt. Colruyt produces the hydrogen for the on-site hydrogen station by electrolysis using wind and solar power, making the operation of the fuel cell forklifts very sustainable.

Later this month, four STILL fuel cell forklifts are being transferred to a pilot project with the Danish hardware store chain STARK. Henrik Lindstrøm, logistics director at STARK says the company is aiming to be more environmentally friendly and contribute to reducing CO2 emissions in the country.