Wegmans’ Warehouse Operations Launches 50 Fuel-Cell Powered Pallet Trucks

Wegmans, a supermarket chain leader, has launched a fleet of 50 hydrogen fuel cell-powered pallet trucks fitted with Plug Power’s GenDrive hydrogen fuel cell power units and fueled using Air Products’ hydrogen and hydrogen fueling station technology at its Pottsville, Pa. warehouse.

The GenDrive systems can be quickly refueled in less than five minutes, completely eliminating the need to change, store, charge and maintain multiple lead acid batteries per lift truck. Wegmans hopes to convert its entire lift truck fleet at the Pottsville facility to hydrogen fuel cells over the next few years. To this point, Wegmans’ material handling equipment was all powered with lead acid batteries.

Air Products’ fueling infrastructure at Wegmans includes an outdoor liquid hydrogen storage and compression system, along with multiple indoor fueling dispensers for operator refueling.

The warehouse installation is the first commercial site in Pennsylvania to move consumer goods using hydrogen-powered material handling equipment.

Our folks tested the equipment early last year and could immediately see what it would mean to equipment performance and productivity. Whether a gas tank is full or down to a quarter-tank, a car will travel at 60 mph. Not so when battery power is used, performance diminishes as the battery discharges.

—Dave Allar, Wegmans’ RSC maintenance manager

Partial funding for the project was received at federal and state levels. In April 2009 the United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced a funding program for fuel cell technology to expand use of clean and renewable energy sources. The project also received a $1 million grant from the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority.

Air Products’ hydrogen fueling technology is currently being used to fuel approximately 300 material handling vehicles including: fuel cell powered lift trucks at Central Grocers’ new distribution center in Joliet, Ill.; hydrogen fuel cell powered forklifts at Nestlé Waters North America in Dallas, Tex.; hydrogen fuel cell powered forklifts at the Defense Distribution Depot Susquehanna Pennsylvania in New Cumberland, Pa.; as well as hydrogen fuel cell powered forklifts at several other customers in the United States. In addition, mobile fueling equipment unique and patented by Air Products has been and continues to be deployed to a variety of customers to demonstrate the technology in real world conditions.