Hydrogen, fuel cell
On the road to a climate future, electric vehicles play an important role in transportation and logistics. The requirement to further reduce carbon dioxide emissions is the key driving force for the increasing use of alternative drives. For the internal logistics industry, this topic is not new: Toyota has more than 50 years of experience in electric industrial vehicles. Various battery technologies and their performance as well as the required charging infrastructure are well known. About 90% of Toyota material handling's entire product portfolio is electric forklifts, which can use both traditional lead-acid batteries and lithium technology. The good energy efficiency of lithium technology enables operators not only to save energy costs, but also to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. However, what if the existing power capacity is insufficient to meet the technology, or there is not enough time and space for the charging process? So fuel cell propulsion using hydrogen can be an answer.
Toyota's pioneering role in the field of fuel cells
In the automotive field, Toyota is considered to be a pioneer and innovative leader in alternative drive in the fields of electric, hybrid and fuel cell technology.
Stefanie Beck, consultant of Toyota Motor Europe in Berlin, Germany, said:
”As early as 1997, Toyota set foot on the road of electric vehicles with the Prius. Takeshi Uchiyamada, the inventor and godfather of our hybrid technology (and fuel cell technology), has been our chairman since 2013. A proven R & D expert in this position stressed the importance of powertrain diversity to our group. “
Toyota has produced the world's first fuel cell car Toyota Mirai since 2014, and has launched the second generation fuel cell car.
Toyota Mirai's fuel cell modules are produced at a technology plant in Japan, which opened in 2020. In the first year, 30000 fuel cell stacks and hydrogen tanks will be produced there, which will be used in other commercial vehicles, such as buses, in the domestic market.
At the same time, in Germany, this technology has also arrived. Hundreds of Toyota Mirai are driving on German roads, and the hydrogen tank infrastructure is expanding. State funding has accelerated expansion.
German hydrogen energy strategy
Fuel cells were recently named by the federal government as the most important future technology when the national hydrogen strategy was announced. It converts hydrogen into water with the help of atmospheric oxygen. In this chemical reaction process, the electric energy released provides power for the motor.
As part of the national hydrogen energy strategy, federal ministries are currently promoting development, because flexible energy carriers are essential for Germany's energy transformation. Its purpose is to establish a hydrogen economy with international competitiveness. This is why the federal government provided 9 billion euros. For more information about the specific content of this policy, see here.
The spirit of optimism also affects the transportation and logistics industry. However, although the European commercial vehicle industry for road freight transport is still in the development stage to a large extent, the fuel cell technology for industrial forklifts has been put into use.
How are fuel cells constructed?
The core of hydrogen drive of forklift and warehouse equipment is fuel cell system, which is composed of fuel cell stack, hydrogen tank (350 bar), energy accumulator in the form of small lithium battery and fan. The battery is used to temporarily store unwanted energy or energy obtained through recovery, so that it can be used for peak load again quickly. The system adopts the casting frame design of the size of traditional lead-acid battery, which can be relatively easily installed on the traditional electric forklift with only a little modification.
Toyota has successfully implemented a fuel cell forklift fleet in the United States and Europe
At present, about 90% of Toyota's fleet of electric industrial vehicles are equipped with fuel cell drivers and have passed the certification of European guidelines. Other equipment will follow. In the United States, Toyota material handling and its subsidiaries have implemented projects for up to 500 equipment, including narrow channel equipment, forward moving forklifts and tractors. Users include companies in the food industry, the automotive industry, (mail order) trade and logistics, as well as airports and ports. However, the world leader in the industrial forklift market also operates some hydrogen fuel fleets in its own production facilities in Japan and Italy and customers in France, Norway and Finland, which means that it has many years of practical operation experience. The forklift factory in Ferrara, Italy is a pilot plant of Toyota material handling Europe. The focus here has been on customer projects - both from the actual testing of our own hydrogen forklift fleet and from cooperation with partners in hydrogen infrastructure planning and demand-based development.
Use of German federal funding schemes and regional initiatives
Globally, the U.S. market is in a leading position. At present, there are about 35000 forklifts in the fuel cell industry. The reasons include tax incentives and the existing hydrogen industry. Japan even plans to produce 10000 hydrogen forklifts by 2030, while in Europe, only about 600 devices are currently in use - although the technology has been tested and tested and can be used.
This should change with the federal government's national hydrogen strategy and special funding programs for forklift fleet operators. In order to promote the expansion of hydrogen powered fleet and hydrogenation infrastructure, the Federal Ministry of transport and digital infrastructure (BMWi) is providing the company with a total of 5 million euros as part of the "national innovation plan for hydrogen and fuel cells".
Tobias K ? nig, project manager for green logistics and critical infrastructure power supply at now GmbH, said:
”The investment in the forklift fleet and the entire hydrogen infrastructure required for this purpose is funded at a funding rate of 40% of the additional investment cost. Funds can provide important help for the project. “
With this financial support, by 2022, about 500 forklifts with innovative technology will be put into use in Germany.
In its current study "the impact of fuel cell technology on the machinery and parts supplier industry", the German machinery and equipment Engineering Association e.V. (VDMA) predicts that the market share of hydrogen powered forklifts will reach 10% to 20% by 2030, depending on the performance level. In general, manufacturers have developed greater interest in and increased demand for hydrogen solutions as the driving force of industrial forklifts, especially in the new logistics center project.
Advantages of forklift fuel cell technology:
● no discharge operation, only distilled water is used as "by-product".
● there is no need to replace the battery or shut down during charging, so as to save time.
● the equipment has high availability, and hydrogenation takes only 2-3 minutes.
● no land occupation, no investment in cargo hold or ventilation system.
● very flexible, you can refuel at any time even in peak hours.
● there is no need to deal with toxic chemicals such as battery acid or lead.
● CO2 is neutral when using "green" hydrogen.
● no performance degradation during use.
● durable and low maintenance.
● it can be used in the temperature range of - 30 ° C to 40 ° C.
Why is it the best time to use hydrogen to operate the forklift fleet?
At present, the application of fuel cells in other industries is also rising, especially in the field of commercial vehicles, which will provide power for the expansion of hydrogen infrastructure in Germany and Europe, and further reduce the price of hydrogen, so as to reduce the operating cost of fuel cell forklifts. To this end, energy suppliers are currently developing solutions to transport and store hydrogen or generate hydrogen on site using renewable energy. The distribution of hydrogen in the building or the whole site can be carried out either underground or on the thin line on the roof. Therefore, the gas filling station can be placed where industrial forklifts are used. The infrastructure outside the building is limited to small areas for storing compressor stations, intermediate oil storage tanks and distribution stations.
Hydrogen road of Toyota material handling
Although the cost of electricity is rising, the price of hydrogen decreases with the increase of production, which is also the result of publicly funded hydrogen projects. Hydrogen powered forklifts not only score for their zero emissions, but also provide maximum availability around the clock due to rapid refueling. In addition, the larger the fleet and the longer the running time of each equipment, the better the investment in hydrogen infrastructure and the allocation of regular maintenance costs. Therefore, a large fleet with high utilization helps to amortize costs faster.
Fuel cell technology has made a significant contribution to reducing the company's CO2 footprint. As a project planning and implementation partner, Toyota material handling not only provides the most extensive industrial forklift product portfolio, but also has rich project experience and a network of qualified planners, experts and suppliers of hydrogen energy infrastructure. Reliable and experienced partners are important, such as those actively involved in the clean logistics network using fuel cells, which Toyota is the spokesman of.
Take advantage of the opportunities and potential that hydrogen technology has provided for internal logistics to combine climate protection and sustainability with the safety of investment in innovative technologies.
About the entry of Toyota material handling group (tmhg) into enterprise shops
In 1956, the material handling equipment business of Toyota Industrial Company (TICO) began to sell the first forklift through Toyota Motor Sales Co., Ltd. (now Toyota Motor Company).
The biggest turning point of this business was the acquisition of BT industries AB in 2000 and the merger of Toyota's industrial equipment sales and marketing business into TICO group in 2001.
In 2006, all brands were included in Toyota material handling group (tmhg). Through the organization, efforts are being made to seek synergies among long-standing brands to further enhance global competitiveness.
Tmhg will continue to grow into a powerful company that can meet the needs of logistics workplaces in all countries and regions around the world.
