The Port of Valencia has received the hydrogen-powered ReachStacker, which was built as part of the European H2PORTS project.
This prototype will be tested with the hydrogen-powered tractor unit and the mobile hydrogen supply station (HRS) in the Port of Valencia from this month until December 2024.
Moreover, Valencia is Europe’s first port to use hydrogen technology to lessen the environmental effects of its operations.
Hyster, a major forklift truck manufacturer with over 90 years of expertise, created the world’s first hydrogen-powered ReachStacker. The machine, which arrived disassembled and carried on three trucks, will be installed and given its first hydrogen charge next week.
The refuelling and operating tests will be overseen by the project’s technical team, which includes Hyster, MSC Terminal Valencia, Centro Nacional del Hidrógeno, Carburos Metálicos, and the Valenciaport Foundation as coordinator of this project.
The fuel cell-powered Hyster ReachStacker is expected to outperform a diesel reach stacker in terms of capacity, lift, and drive speeds, allowing for similar productivity levels.
It will also have independent traction and hydraulics, as well as different electric motors to serve different functions. When paired with the appropriate application and operating intensity, Hyster anticipates that this ReachStacker will give up to two shifts of operation before requiring hydrogen recharging.
The Hyster Reach Stacker is intended to comply with the standard hydrogen filling station connection (SAE standard), allowing global use and simplicity. As a basic feature, the design contains four hydrogen tanks for storing hydrogen inside the ReachStacker.