KION Group Enters Hydrogen Drive Manufacturing

The KION Group strengthens its portfolio in the field of hydrogen drives. The globally operating intralogistics company will also develop and produce its own fuel cell systems for its industrial trucks in the future. The company plans to invest more than €11 million in this endeavor. In the spring of this year, the KION Group will launch its own 24-volt fuel cell system for warehouse technology devices. The completion of the fuel cell portfolio is expected to follow in the coming years. This will allow KION brands to offer their customers everything from a single source: the vehicle, the fuel cell, and the associated service.

(Frankfurt am Main) “As of today, the KION Group will be the only industrial truck manufacturer in the European market with its own fuel cell production – a unique selling point,” says Rob Smith, CEO of KION GROUP AG. “The demand from our customers is high, and we want to meet the increasing requirements for resource-saving and sustainable intralogistics in conjunction with fast refueling with this technology.”

The company plans to deliver the first vehicles with its own fuel cell systems to customers this year.

Simple and Practical, Fast and Clean

The advantages of fuel cell technology are manifold. The energy system generates no emissions during operation – making it ideally suited for use in closed warehouses. If the hydrogen also comes from renewable sources, such as biogas or electrolysis through solar or wind energy, its use is also climate-neutral. At hydrogen refueling stations, another strength of the energy system is revealed: a complete refueling process takes only one to three minutes. This minimizes operational interruptions and increases the availability of the vehicles – significant advantages in multi-shift operations and large fleets. The absence of toxic acids or other pollutants is another plus – not only in terms of recycling but also in daily practice: the fuel cell drive is an attractive alternative to lead-acid batteries in hygiene-critical industries such as pharmaceuticals and food production.

Hydrogen Production for CO2 Reduction at the Aschaffenburg Site

In parallel with the development and production of fuel cell systems, the company is also establishing its own hydrogen production facility at the Aschaffenburg site. The work on a state-funded hydrogen refueling station, including an electrolyzer, is already nearly complete. After the hydrogen infrastructure is finished, 21 forklifts with fuel cell hybrid systems are to be deployed there, replacing a large portion of the forklifts with combustion engines currently in use.

Decades of Experience with the Energy Carrier

The KION Group’s brands recognized early on the great potential of hydrogen and fuel cell technology for intralogistics. The KION subsidiary Linde Material Handling GmbH (Linde MH) has been intensively involved with this promising technology since 1997 and began series production of its first devices in 2010. Today, Linde MH offers one of the largest selections of industrial trucks with fuel cell drives on the market. Approximately 80 percent of all models can be ordered with this forward-looking energy variant. This includes not only low-lift trucks, tugs, or reach trucks but also counterbalance forklifts.

The KION subsidiary STILL GmbH (STILL) has also long integrated this technology into its portfolio. Since 2003, STILL has regularly implemented hydrogen projects with various vehicle types for customers. Currently, STILL operates one of the largest forklift fleets with hydrogen drives in Europe at a customer site in France. To comprehensively advise and support its customers regarding fuel cell technology, the KION subsidiary STILL has entered into a partnership with Hydrogentle GmbH, which designs special systems, conducts feasibility studies, and advises customers on hydrogen infrastructure – if desired, up to the handover of a complete hydrogen infrastructure for refueling industrial trucks.

Fuel Cell Technology in Industrial Trucks

Energy generation with fuel cell systems occurs through the chemical reaction of oxygen (O2) and hydrogen (H2), which powers a compact lithium-ion battery. This hybrid combination drives the vehicle by supplying energy to the drive and lift motors. The fuel cell generates the electrical energy required for the operation of the forklift directly on board the vehicle. The only byproducts produced during the so-called “cold combustion” are heat, water vapor, and pure water.

Photo: KION Group