EU is committed to commercializing hydrogen fuel cells in logistics

With the basic maturity of EU hydrogen fuel cell (FCH) technology and the positive role of hydrogen fuel cells in renewable energy generation (wind and solar energy) energy storage, the EU Hydrogen Fuel Cell Major Project (FCH JTI) has invested 5 million euros in research and development funds, and formed a European DON QUICHOTE R&D team led by Belgium's Hydrogenics Europe NV, and composed of five EU member states and associated countries Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Iceland, nine photovoltaic (PV) companies, logistics forklift manufacturers and logistics companies, and the scientific and technological community. Since October 2012, it has been committed to the development of pilot demonstration projects for the commercial application of hydrogen fuel cells in the logistics industry, and actively researched and evaluated the economic and technical feasibility.

The research activities of the R&D team involve the economic and technical feasibility assessment of the entire value chain, from photovoltaic power generation to hydrogen production and hydrogen energy storage to hydrogen refueling infrastructure and logistics hydrogen fuel forklift manufacturing. So far, the R&D team has completed the research and development and economic and technical feasibility assessment of photovoltaic power generation alkaline electrolyzers to produce hydrogen, innovative and more efficient proton exchange membrane electrolysis hydrogen fuel supply infrastructure, hydrogen fuel cell forklift design, and hydrogen energy storage system design based on electrochemical compression technology. And successfully designed and developed two practical hydrogen fuel supply methods: grid connection and mobile supply. The R&D team is currently focusing on the structural optimization and economic and technical feasibility assessment of the entire value chain, and the preliminary results show good prospects for commercial application.

The European Commission believes that the role of hydrogen fuel cells as a renewable energy storage medium is becoming increasingly prominent and will make an important contribution to achieving the EU's 2020 energy strategy goals. The research and development team believes that the large amount of data parameters collected during the implementation of the pilot demonstration project will provide an important basis for the sustainable development and standardization of EU hydrogen fuel cell technology. (According to the Ministry of Science and Technology)