The U.S. is the world leader in fuel cell lift truck deployments. This is according to Fuel Cells 2000, an independent, non-profit organization for the advancement of fuel cells and hydrogen technology (www.fuelcells.org). In their report, “The Business Case for Fuel Cells 2012,” Fuel Cells 2000 researched nationally recognizable companies and corporations that are deploying or demonstrating fuel cells.

When talking to material handling professionals about fuel cell technology and hydrogen infrastructure, a common question asked is: What companies are actually using this technology? Fuel cells and on-site hydrogen generation are real solutions that are available today for companies looking to increase their warehouse productivity and lower their operational costs. Early adopters of fuel cell technology are already seeing the benefits: longer run times, no voltage sag, faster refills, no space needed for battery storage or swapping, and zero-emissions.

So who are the top fuel cell lift truck customers in the U.S.? According to Fuel Cells 2000’s research, the following companies are leading the way with their deployments of fuel cell forklifts.

1. Sysco - 700+ forklifts at 7 sites
2. Walmart - 509 forklifts at 3 sites
3. Proctor & Gamble - 340 forklifts at 4 sites
4. Central Grocers - 234 forklifts at 1 site
5. BMW - 230+ forklifts at 1 site
6. WinCo Foods - 200+ forklifts at 1 site
7. Kroger - 161 forklifts at 1 site
8. Lowe’s - 161 forklifts at 1 site
9. Wegmans - 140+ forklifts at 1 site
10. Coca-Cola - 96 forklifts at 2 sites

To learn more about how these particular companies are using fuel cell forklifts, please read the entire “Business Case for Fuel Cells 2012″ Report on Fuel Cell 2000’s website (www.fuelcells.org).

Talk to someone at Nuvera today about how your company can lower your operational costs and increase productivity by deploying fuel cell forklifts and on-site hydrogen infrastructure. Email me at larmstrong@nuvera.com.

The first week back after a trade show always feels bittersweet. Sore feet from standing on faux hardwood booth flooring (beautiful on the eyes, killer on the calves!). A mind racing through the many conversations with partners, competitors, editors, new contacts, and (for me) forklift drivers.

This year, attendees and exhibitors braved the cold winds of Chicago and headed to McCormick Place for the four-day ProMat material handling show. On the last day of the show, Chicago saw its first snow after having gone 335 days, or about 11 months, without an inch of snowfall in any calendar day.

Inside the convention center, protected from the cold weather, the ProMat was having some ‘firsts’ of its own. For the 2013 show, ProMat launched their first official Innovation Awards which recognizes a new technology or service that creates quantifiable and sustainable results in terms of ROI, cost savings, or customer satisfaction. Nuvera was proud to have two products nominated for the award, the Orion fuel cell stack and the PowerTap hydrogen generator. (We’d like to take a moment to congratulate Packsize LLC. and Fox IV Technologies Inc. for winning the 2013 awards!) Steve Forbes gave this year’s keynote on “Navigating the New Political Climate for Business Growth and Success”, which was very highly regarded by attendees. And more than ever, exhibitors and attendees were all using social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to connect before, during, and after the show.

This year was particularly exciting in Nuvera’s booth. Not only because we were highlighting exciting new material handling solutions in our booth, but for things that were happening behind the scenes in Nuvera.

Here is why this year’s ProMat will go down in history as one to remember…

1. We unveiled our exciting new tagline “making hydrogen make sense”. After 13 years of innovating cutting-edge fuel processing and fuel cell technology, Nuvera decided to evolve its tagline to reflect its new customer-centric business model. Nuvera believes in helping its customers realize value by empowering them make hydrogen make sense (and cents!) for their business.
2. We went live with our new website design (see it here! www.nuvera.com). Businesses are always evolving, and so should websites. Nuvera decided that it was time to make sure that our website accurately reflected our new customer-centric messaging and vision for the future. That, coupled with eye-catching designs and a more navigational friendly layout makes up the new 2013 Nuvera corporate website. We hope you’ll enjoy the new website. (And we welcome any comments or feedback you have at larmstrong@nuvera.com)
3. We launched the PowerTap+ service product. PowerTap+ eliminates most of the upfront costs associated with creating a reliable hydrogen source for fuel cell vehicles or other uses. Nuvera assumes full responsibility for installation of the equipment and undertakes regular maintenance checks to ensure efficient, uninterrupted hydrogen delivery. With superior customer service a hallmark of our company, Nuvera ensures a simple, quick solution to delivering an assured supply of high-quality hydrogen.
4. We showcased our new Orion fuel cell stack. Orion is Nuvera’s eighth-generation fuel cell stack designed for industrial mobility, aerospace, and automotive applications. Orion offers superior performance and durability in a compact package. Provided with its own control logic, called SmartStack™, Orion is easily integrated by OEMs.
5. We promoted the new design of the PowerTap hydrogen dispenser. The new design of the PowerTap hydrogen dispenser makes refueling a forklift fast, easy, and safe. With a form factor similar to an average gas pump, the dispenser can refill a forklift in about 2 minutes.
6. It was the year of the Hess helicopter. Nuvera is proud to be a wholly owned subsidiary of Hess Corporation. Every year, the folks at Hess design and manufacture an extraordinarily detailed toy truck for the holiday season. Everyone wants to get their hands on one of these toys, and 2012 was no exception. This year the toy was a helicopter and rescue vehicle (which have since sold out on the www.hesstoytruck.com website).

We’d like to thank everyone who visited Nuvera’s booth this year at ProMat. We hope you enjoyed learning about our technology and how Nuvera can help your business grow!

Here’s to a great start to 2013!

(Want to attend the next material handling show? Nuvera will be exhibiting at the MODEX 2014 show in Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center from March 17-20, 2014.)

Mankind’s move from carbon toward hydrogen energy consumption is depicted in the graph above.

“As cavemen, we began with wood fires 750,000 years ago. The carbon-to-hydrogen ratio in wood is about ten-to-one. Coal, with carbon and hydrogen in a one- or two-to-one ratio (depending on the variety), represented a major step forward when it came into wide use during the 19th century—though we know better today. The 20th century brought petroleum, shifting the balance toward hydrogen in a two- (or so) to-one ratio with carbon. Natural gas (NG), which is mainly methane, continues this trend with four hydrogen atoms for every carbon atom. Extending the path we’ve followed for centuries will eventually take us to a full hydrogen economy where carbon is no longer part of the deal.”*

As a leading provider of fuel cell and hydrogen generation solutions, Nuvera is a front line observer of this trend. A growing number of material handling professionals are increasing their adoption of fuel cells within their logistics operations. Top-tier companies such as Walmart, Sysco, BMW, and others are deploying hydrogen fuel cell fleets in order to lower their operational expenses, increase their productivity, and adopt more sustainable processes.

Nuvera’s PowerTap hydrogen generator is an appliance that enables companies to cost-effectively generate their own clean, high-purity hydrogen onsite to fuel their fleet of hydrogen fuel cell forklifts. The appliance eliminates the costs and emissions associated with trucking in hydrogen from an off-site chemical production plant. The PowerTap Hydogren Generator solution is ideal for customers with fuel needs from 25 to 250 kg/day. The core technology of the appliance is its industrial high efficiency steam reforming system, running on natural gas and city water. This technology affords a reliable, cost-effective alternative to delivered hydrogen and to electrolyzers.

Material handling professionals can achieve operational efficiency and profitability by installing a PowerTap Hydrogen Generator - a clean, convenient, and cost-effective appliance for producing hydrogen for fuel cell forklift fleets.

Want to learn more about how your company can benefit from an onsite hydrogen generation like PowerTap? Click here

*Credits: Article: Natural Gas: The Next Step on the Road to Hydrogen by Don Sherman, November 2012; Illustration by Bryan Christie Design

Earlier this year, Nuvera entered into an exclusive agreement with XEBEC Adsorption to develop the next generation of PSA technology for on-site hydrogen generation products for refueling operations. Why is this important to the future of hydrogen energy? Read on to find out. Read more…