In New York state, Plug Power Inc will supply Blue EnerFreeze, the energy subsidiary of STEF, the European market leader in the transportation and logistics of food products, with a complete green hydrogen ecosystem across two distribution centers, before potentially expanding further into their network of over 100 sites. One of the distribution centers is close to Paris, France and the other is close to Madrid, Spain.
Temperatures in STEF’s chilled and frozen food storage warehouses can plunge to negative 30 degrees Celsius, in worst cases. Under these conditions, lead acid battery-powered forklifts lose their charge quickly. Meanwhile, hydrogen fuel cells display superior performance in cold storage environments, offering higher asset utilization and increased levels of autonomy in demanding, typically multi-shift, mobility applications.
The transition from lead-acid batteries to Plug’s hydrogen fuel cells will potentially improve STEF’s forklift labor productivity due to maximum power over an entire shift. Battery-powered lift trucks lose approximately 14% of their speed over the last half of the battery charge. Unique to cold storage applications the switch to fuel cells allows operators to stay productive longer. This also means that lift truck operators can continue working in the cold storage facility for a full shift strengthening their comfort and avoiding changing of the batteries.
