The infrastructure for hydrogen refueling can be implemented in a way that saves space.

Although fuel cell-powered industrial trucks have many advantages as well, their big breakthrough is still to come. This is not least due to the necessary refueling infrastructure, which requires major investments. On the plus side, this type of energy involves refueling times of just a few minutes, falling hydrogen prices, safe and clean handling (an important aspect for hygiene-critical industries such as the pharmaceutical and food sectors), long service life and space-saving fuel dispensers. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, peak demand is not a burden on the power grid. Favorable conditions for the use of fuel cell-powered vehicles exist if hydrogen is required in the operational process or is a "waste product" in a company's production process, or if a hydrogen filling station is already available on the company premises. Economic viability can be demonstrated with fleet sizes of 20 to 50 or more vehicles. In many countries, it is possible to apply for subsidies. Linde offers vehicles powered by a fuel cell hybrid system that features an additional lithium-ion battery to cover peak demands. Moreover, the battery stores recuperated braking energy. In 2010, Linde Material Handling became the first manufacturer in its industry to offer fuel cell technology as a customer-specific option. Today, 80 percent of all electric models from the Linde product portfolio can be equipped with it.

The path leading to the goal

An advantage of industrial trucks with fuel cell hybrid drive is the short time needed for hydrogen refuelling.

Fleet operators wishing to get an initial, quick overview of which drive or battery type is most suitable for use in their operations can utilize the "Energy Quick Check" on the Linde Material Handling website. In just a few steps, this online resource uses multiple choice questions to ascertain the general conditions and priorities of the respective application. These include, for example, the size of the industrial truck fleet, the shift model in place, break times, loading and usage of trucks, indoor or outdoor use, as well as willingness to innovate and consideration of aspects such as sustainability. Based on the answers selected, a determination is made as to which type of energy (IC, lead-acid battery, lithium-ion battery or fuel cell) is suitable and to what degree. If the result differs from the type of energy presently being used, this might be a reason to contact a Linde Material Handling energy consultant. This is of course due to the fact that the Energy Quick Check only provides an initial assessment. In order to obtain a well-founded basis for decision-making, a much more detailed collection of information is required - ideally combined with a visit on site. The trained specialists of the Linde MH sales organization bring various software tools with them, such as the Energy Calculator, for instance. This tool helps to process the large amount of data collected, to run through different scenarios and to visualize results even for complex tasks. Among other things, it determines energy savings, return on investment (ROI) and suitable battery/charger combinations. Various financing options can also be provided. Once the optimal solution has been identified, the next step is to verify whether all the necessary infrastructure requirements are in place. For example, is the required power grid capacity sufficient for the planned number of lithium-ion chargers? If the company places an order for a supply of vehicles, a wide range of services can be agreed upon.

Linde Material Handling has achieved an optimized energy consumption and increased handling capacity for the new IC counterbalance trucks, while reducing emissions at the same time by using a modern, maintenance-friendly industrial engine.

Linde (China) Forklift Truck Corp., Ltd, the Asian base of Linde Forklift Truck was established in Dec. 1993 with a total investment of RMB 1.7 billion, which is the biggest forklift truck manufacturer in China with advanced technology.

Since entering China, Linde has developed a comprehensive network of sales and service providing advanced materials handling equipment and professional service. Linde provides the best solutions to improve material handling efficiency and reduce costs.