Will there be no more missing luggage thanks to fuel cells?
We can’t promise that. But a recent demonstration of our newly engineered hydrogen fuel cell beta unit designed to power ground support equipment (GSE) vehicles at airports around the world, means we are one step closer to providing a zero-emission power source for these vehicles.
This demo is a significant step in Plug Power’s strategy to expand into markets adjacent to material handling, where the company’s GenDrive fuel cells have overwhelmingly proved their value. A $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy has provided the funding for this development project. Use of hydrogen fuel cells will enable GSE operators to comply with tightening emissions standards that currently require capital increases and operational interruption in fleets powered by diesel.
This week, the Plug Power GSE fuel cell prototype was publicly demonstrated for the first time, in a Charlatte cargo tractor pulling 40,000 pounds of weight, spread evenly over four dollies.
The value proposition of this hydrogen fuel cell application includes:
Economic Payback
- Fuel cells are at least twice as efficient as diesel engines.
- They are a low-cost alternative to investing tens of millions of dollars to equip an airport with electric infrastructure and battery chargers.
Zero Emission Vehicle
- Fuel cells eliminate noxious diesel fumes and noise.
- Use of hydrogen produces only heat and water as by-products.
Solution for U.S. EPA Non-Attainment Areas
- Fuel cells provide positive, immediate impact on designated EPA non-attainment areas (regions with air quality falling below 1970 Clean Air Act requirements).
- Hydrogen fuel enables compliance with EPA Tier 4 emissions standards (no ozone, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, lead).
The next phase for the project is to develop 15 Plug Power GSE fuel cell units that will be deployed at an airport location to study the productivity, efficiency and environmental benefits of powering GSE vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells.
In conjunction with the GSE fuel cells, Plug Power will provide a GenFuel hydrogen infrastructure that includes:
- Scalable hydrogen supply that can ramp up from fueling 15 demo units to fueling an entire fleet of commercial units, without additional investment.
- Low cost liquid hydrogen that offers accelerated fuel savings as the number of GSE tugs in operation increases.
Successful trials will prove that the hydrogen fuel cell GSE units are viable, and will provide Plug Power access to a market expansion opportunity with an addressable market of 60,000 units.
