Direct methanol fuel cell forklift debuts at Hannover
April 24th 2007

Research centre, Jülich has developed a direct methanol fuel cell forklift, which made its debut at this year's Hannover Messe.

A major factor that slows down moving heavy stocks is having to change the batteries in forklifts. Research centre Julich and its industrial partners demonstrated prototypes of the first ever electrical forklift run on methanol. A fuel cell converts the chemical energy of liquid methanol directly into electric current which then powers the vehicle. Instead of lengthy charging times for batteries, the vehicle can be tanked up in a few minutes. And it can still be used in enclosed spaces because it does not produce any harmful emissions.

"With this prototype, we are now only a small step away from the commercialisation of our fuel cell technology", explains Prof. Detlef Stolten, Director at the Jülich Institute of Energy Research. The institute conducts unified research – extending from the improvement of the key components in cells and stacks right up to the development of installable fuel cell systems. "We want to keep an eye on all aspects and coordinate everything accordingly. This is the only way that we can make the complex fuel cell system commercially viable", explains Stolten.

Several Julich experts gave talks, Dr. Robert Steinberger-Wilckens, Head of the Fuel Cell Project, spoke about the development of the SOFC at Jülich in the very same area. Dipl.-Math. Jürgen Friedrich Hake, Head of the research area Systems Analysis and Technology Evaluation at the Institute of Energy Research chaired a podium discussion on the topic "Is energy management a prerequisite for the future of renewable energies?"  Participants included Johannes Lackmann, President of the German Renewable Energy Federation, Dr Lutz Mez, Deputy Director of the Environmental Policy Research Centre and Helmuth Frey, EnBW.

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