Still produces in new factory in Hamburg

The intralogistics industry, too, must reduce its CO₂ emissions while continuing to operate profitably. As far as drive systems are concerned, hydrogen technology alongside purely battery-electric vehicles is increasingly coming into focus. Thanks to its high performance, it scores particularly well in multi-shift operation.

The Hamburg-based company Still is the first supplier of industrial trucks in Europe to have its own production facility for fuel cell systems. These are optionally integrated into the storage technology devices at the customer’s request. Up to 5,000 units per year will initially roll off the production line in the Hanseatic city, where the production capacities are designed for further growth.

The intralogistics specialist, which offers forklift trucks, warehouse technology and networked systems, for example, has been producing 24-volt fuel cell systems at its main factory in Hamburg since November 2023. “This is a closed unit, which makes it possible to switch from battery to fuel cell at a later date,” stated Jan Lemke, production manager, at the mechatronics center during a factory tour at the headquarters in Hamburg. The factory founded in 1920 by Hans Still today employs around 9,000 people in 22 countries and is part of the listed Kion Group. The fuel cell system was also developed there.

For companies with large fleets – so more than 50 vehicles and over 1,500 operating hours per year – hydrogen, according to the company’s information, is suitable as an alternative to battery-powered vehicles. And in areas such as the food and pharmaceutical industries, where hygiene is particularly important, this applies all the more due to the clean FC technology.

Eight to nine hours at full power
Because of their performance capability, fuel cells are particularly required when processes such as lifting or acceleration are involved, states Lemke. With 0.8 kilograms of hydrogen in the steel tank, the FC systems, which feed into a lithium-ion battery as required, enable a continuous shift of eight to nine hours without any drop in performance. The subsequent “refueling” with the gas compressed to 350 bar takes only 30 to 120 seconds, assures Lemke. To do this, the vehicle is connected to a dispenser that acts as a fuel pump. Because it requires very little space, such a dispenser can either be positioned flexibly in the warehouse or integrated along the route, depending on requirements.

Such FC systems are used for example by customers with large fleets of intralogistics devices such as baggage tugs at airports or train stations. Regardless of the size of the fleet, FC systems are particularly suitable for those customers who already or in the future will have a hydrogen production facility or pipeline in their vicinity or produce the green gas themselves via electrolysis using renewable energy sources – for example, for industrial operations or heavy goods transport.

Complete package for trial operation
To enable customers with small fleets to get started with hydrogen technology, Still offers a package of FC vehicles, mobile refueling system, permits and installation to rent for about one month. This allows these customers to test the fuel cell vehicles themselves in real-life operation. “For selected vehicles, Still offers the ‘Fuel Cell Ready’ option, so that customers can switch to FC technology as required,” says Lemke. The system development was funded with over 1.9 million euros as part of the federal innovation program NIP (Nationales Innovationsprogramm Wasserstoff- und Brennstoffzellentechnologie).

Stress test in the factory
The production in Hamburg includes the manufacture of individual components such as printed circuit boards in the mechatronics center. Of this Still is especially proud. There are “only a few competitors on the market for power electronics,” says Lemke. Another unique feature is the quality testing in a specially designed test cabin: “No system leaves the factory without being tested. We stress the system at one and a half times the pressure to see if hydrogen escapes anywhere.”

To do this, the fuel cell is refueled with hydrogen and the tightness of all lines and components is tested under high pressure using special measuring devices. The safety standard also includes the immediate and complete extraction of any escaping hydrogen in the event of an untight line. The glass test cabin, which is computer-controlled and fully automatic, was also developed there – together with a partner company.

Jan Lemke (left) during the stress test in front of the test cabin in the Still production hall in Hamburg

“Ready for use at any time,” thinks Lemke why FC technology is superior to the purely battery-electric drive. Still has been offering battery drives for its industrial trucks for some time now. But “battery changes, the extra space required for batteries and charging windows are now a thing of the past,” according to Lemke. The FC service life is around 10,000 operating hours.

H₂ increasingly important in intralogistics
While purely battery-electric drives are completely sufficient for some logistics users, it may be more favorable for others to use FC vehicles. For example, if an industrial customer draws more than 100,000 kWh per year, explains Gesa Kaatz, energy specialist at Still. Then, in addition to energy consumption, load peaks also have a significant impact on electricity costs. In addition to the energy price, customers are charged a demand-based service fee. And depending on the regional grid fee, this could be up to €200/kW per year.

“If, for example, three lithium ion vehicles are each charged unregulated with 33 kW, this generates an additional load of nearly 100 kW. In the worst-case scenario, our customers could incur additional costs of up to EUR 20,000 per year,” states Kaatz. To avoid expensive load peaking, charging devices from Still are regulated via a load management system. “If, however, the flexibility in the charging time windows is severely restricted due to long use times, our fuel cell system is better suited for our customers. Because hydrogen-powered industrial trucks do not incur this additional electricity load,” he says.

In addition to economic advantages, the employment of hydrogen also has benefits for society: It conserves valuable raw materials such as rare earths because, in combination with the fuel cell, it only requires a small buffer battery. To be precise, it is a hybrid system consisting of fuel cells and a 3‑kWh lithium-ion battery as energy storage. And because hydrogen is neither toxic nor corrosive and also burns without leaving any residue, releasing only water vapor, its use not only serves to protect the environment and the climate but is also considered harmless in the workplace when used correctly.

Recycling of lithium
A circular economy is one of the corporate goals of Still. Therefore, many components of the fuel cell system can be used in a circular way. There recycling of batteries, too, is important. In cooperation with the Canadian company Li-Cycle, Still recycles the lithium from its batteries at its site in Magdeburg and is able to reuse the raw materials. By 2030, around 15,000 large forklift batteries are to be recycled at Kion, which would correspond to about 5,000 tonnes of lithium.

“In the Kion Group, there are also plans to develop fuel cells in higher volt classes,” states Florian Heydenreich, Excecutive Vice President Sales & Service at Still EMEA. They are likewise to be manufactured at the Hamburg Still factory, which has around 2,500 employees. The company is also planning to expand its production capacities in the coming years. “The existing production line is already designed for it,” continues Heydenreich. “We are constantly expanding our H₂ expertise here in Hamburg; together with our partners such as the engineering firm Hydrogentle as well as Wolftank and JAG, who support us professionally with refueling solutions,” he states.

The currently still high prices for green hydrogen remain a challenge in the competition for the time being, but the company is optimistic that the situation will improve in the foreseeable future. “We have massive overcapacities of electricity from renewable energies,” says Florian Heydenreich. “Once these can be used to produce hydrogen on a large scale, the price of green hydrogen will also fall,” he asserts.