34 U.S. Companies 'Lead the Charge' to Green Energy with Fuel Cell Deployment

According to survey results just released by the nonprofit, Washington, D.C.-based group, Fuel Cells 2000, in a little over a year, 34 U.S. corporate customers have purchased or deployed more than 250 fuel cell power systems and hundreds of backup power units— totaling in excess of 30 MW of power. The companies also have acquired more than 1,000 fuel -cell-powered forklifts.

Fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen electrochemically, with no combustion, to produce electricity. The only byproducts are heat and water. A fuel cell has a structure similar to a battery, but a battery stores electricity, while a fuel cell generates electricity from fuel. The fuel cell does not run down or require recharging. It will produce energy in the form of electricity and heat as long as fuel is supplied. Fuel cells are inherently efficient, with electrical efficiencies between 40 and 60 percent, depending on the type.

“The Business Case for Fuel Cells 2011: Energizing America’s Top Companies,” has been updated from a 2010 report that profiled 38 companies, which had ordered or installed a total15 MW of stationary power; as well as 1,000 forklifts and 600 backup power units. The 2011 edition profiles 24 new customers, plus 10 that have purchased additional units during the past 12 months.

The U.S. companies that are “leading the charge” in fuel-cell deployment, based on the findings, include:

• Walmart, with 6.8 MW of fuel-cell generated power at 17 stores and 70+ forklifts;
• Coca-Cola , which has deployed 2.1 MW at four locations, and has purchased 72 forklifts;
• Sysco , which now has 500+ forklifts at multiple locations, and several hundred more on order; and
• Whole Foods, with1.2 MW at four grocery stores and  60+ forklifts

The report also cites two retailers that have made news with their recent fuel-cell conversions —Kroger and CVS Caremark. In June 2011, Kroger purchased 161 Plug Power GenDrive fuel cells for its entire fleet of electric lift trucks at the company’s food distribution center in Compton, California. Plug Power (News - Alert) and Kroger have developed a hydrogen fueling infrastructure, placing compact dispensers strategically throughout the facility. Lift truck operators can fuel the GenDrive units themselves in as little as 60 seconds.

 In July 2011, CVS Caremark opened its new, LEED-certified Chemung, New York, distribution center. The company is developing a program to use fuel-cell-powered forklifts at the facility. CVS is exploring is the use of alternative and renewable energy as a means to reduce the company’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2009, CVS Caremark successfully piloted the use of fuel cell technology in machinery at the company’s North Smithfield, Rhode Island, distribution center.

“Companies are collectively saving millions of dollars in electricity costs while reducing carbon emissions by hundreds of thousands of metric tons per year using fuel cell forklifts and power systems,” commented Jennifer Gangi, program director, Fuel Cells 2000. “The United States is the world leader in both fuel cell-forklift deployments and combined heat and power installations, with both markets dominated by American fuel cell manufacturers, helping to provide jobs and opportunities for export. All the companies profiled in this report are using fuel cells from suppliers with headquarters in the United States.”  

“Fuel cells are not only helping businesses boost their environmental and economic bottom lines, they are also providing a much-needed assist to American manufacturing,” continued Gangi. “Newcomers like NBCUniversal, Kroger, and Kaiser Permanente; and repeat customers, such as Coca-Cola, Walmart, and AT&T (News - Alert), are helping keep [America] at the head of the pack in the clean technology market.”

To download the full free report, visit the Fuel Cells 200 website.