Logistics platform

Air Liquide contributes to facilitating access to the hydrogen energy by the roll-out of an hydrogen distribution network using high-pressure hydrogen supply and charging stations to supply material handling vehicles powered by fuel cells. From production and storage to distribution and applications, Air Liquide offers turnkey solutions for hydrogen mobility suited to your needs.

Hydrogen charging stations for material handling

The creation of captive fleets running on hydrogen improves productivity while reducing CO₂ emissions in the place of use. One of the main applications, which is showing strong growth, is for fleets of forklift trucks in logistics warehouses.

Forklifts running on hydrogen emit no greenhouse gases. Used in a fuel cell, hydrogen combines with oxygen from the air to produce electricity, discharging only water. It offers a sustainable alternative to legacy forklifts and meets key logistics challenges by combining increased flexibility and improved productivity.

Air Liquide can support you in every phase of your project to set up a hydrogen charging station for material handling vehicles; from design to operation, including integration, manufacturing, start-up, training and maintenance.

How does it work ?

Our hydrogen stations are installed directly in the heart of the logistics platforms, thus enabling fast charging of the handling vehicles.
The hydrogen station comes with two modular components: the automatic refueling control panel and the dispenser, which includes the tube and nozzle.

Recharge a forklift in just 3 minutes. 

Hydrogen fuel cells give forklifts an extended range, reduce recharging time, and increase safety for forklift operators who no longer have to handle heavy batteries. Fuel cell units fit seamlessly into the space occupied by batteries in forklifts, making them a simple and cost-effective solution for customers to adopt. 

Full of advantages

Hydrogen has many advantages over electricity, providing economic, practical, environmental and technological benefits.

• Switching to hydrogen energy in a new warehouse eliminates the need for a costly room to store and recharge electric batteries. This frees up valuable warehouse space as well as saving money !
• With hydrogen, several charging stations can be installed at strategic locations in the warehouse, whereas there would be one centralized hub for charging electrical forklifts. Multiple hydrogen charging points limit travel for forklifts, thereby boosting productivity.
• Employees' work is less laborious and there is less risk of accidents because they no longer have to carry the forklifts' heavy electrical batteries, which weigh several hundred kilos each. The forklifts can be recharged with hydrogen in just three minutes and then they are good to go. This saves precious time every day !
• Hydrogen technology allows forklifts to remain in use non-stop. Long stoppages for recharging are no longer necessary. Even better: the performance of fuel cell forklifts is constant throughout use, until the hydrogen runs out. Electrical batteries lose power as the charge runs down.
• And finally, the lifespan of a fuel cell is longer: around 10 years, compared with 5 to 6 years for an electrical battery.