Hydrogen-powered heavy material handling has moved another step beyond the demonstration stage. A Hyster fuel-cell ReachStacker is now working in live container operations at the Port of Tilbury, backed by onsite green hydrogen production.
Hyster and Briggs Equipment have deployed the UK’s first hydrogen fuel-cell ReachStacker in live container operations at the Port of Tilbury. A hydrogen-powered Hyster ReachStacker has entered live service at the Port of Tilbury, moving fuel-cell container handling another step from demonstration projects toward everyday heavy-duty operation.
Hyster and authorized dealer Briggs Equipment UK announced September 17 that the machine is now operating at the Essex port. According to Forth Ports, it is the first hydrogen fuel-cell-powered container handler to be deployed and fully operational in a real-world UK port application.
“Today is an important milestone in the history of the Port of Tilbury,” David Housden, head of engineering and procurement at the port, said. He added that the project is now providing “100% green hydrogen-powered heavy lifting capability.”
The ReachStacker uses a 60 kW fuel-cell engine supplied by Nuvera to generate electricity supporting a 130 kWh lithium-ion battery. High-pressure onboard tanks hold 32 kg of hydrogen, with Hyster targeting operation across a full 12-hour shift and refuelling in less than 30 minutes.
The hydrogen itself is also an important part of the trial. Tilbury plans to operate the machine entirely on green hydrogen produced on-site using a GeoPura electrolyzer, giving the port an opportunity to test not only the ReachStacker but the supporting hydrogen-production and refuelling infrastructure required to keep it working.
The project builds on Hyster’s earlier hydrogen ReachStacker pilot in Valencia, which concluded last year. Hyster and Nuvera subsequently optimized and right-sized the fuel-cell system for the Tilbury application.
Performance under real port conditions will now be the key test. “While eliminating tailpipe emissions has been the core driver of this pioneering collaboration, it was also critical to develop a solution that was up to the job,” Lucien Robroek, president of Global Big Trucks at Hyster, said.
Hyster estimates the ReachStacker could lower Tilbury’s CO2 footprint by more than 107,000 kg annually compared with the diesel consumption used as its baseline. The calculation assumes 40,000 litres of diesel annually at approximately 2,500 operating hours.
Dealer support will be part of the experiment as well. Briggs Equipment UK will provide frontline service and maintenance, while Hyster will provide specialized factory assistance for the fuel-cell and high-voltage systems through its Hypercare program.
That service component may prove as important as the technology itself. Alternative-power heavy equipment has to deliver more than lower emissions. Ports need equipment, energy infrastructure, trained technicians and parts support that can withstand high-intensity operating schedules. Tilbury will now provide a useful real-world test of how those pieces fit together.
References
Forth Ports primary announcement
Hyster announcement via GlobeNewswire
Port Technology independent coverage
