Visitors see Hyster hydrogen fuel cell ReachStacker in action at the Port of Valencia

Hyster Company announces visitors to the Port of Valencia in Spain witnessed live demonstrations of the Hyster^® hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) ReachStacker at an event on Tuesday, Nov. 28. The HFC ReachStacker on show is an innovative zero-emission solution that uses a Nuvera^® E-Series Fuel Cell Engine to convert hydrogen into electricity. It has been developed for use in the Port of Valencia as part of the H2Ports project, funded by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH-JU) and coordinated by the Fundación Valenciaport. The EU-funded project aims to implement fuel cells and clean technologies in port operations.

The container handler arrived at the MSC terminal for live testing in September 2023, making it the first ReachStacker application in Europe using HFC technologies for port handling equipment in real operating conditions. The hydrogen is stored on board the ReachStacker in high-pressure tanks which can be refilled in 10-15 minutes. The hydrogen fuel cell delivers power to either the electric motors or back into the batteries depending on the demand of the task, all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution compared to a diesel alternative. The elimination of the diesel engine, transmission, and other mechanically-driven components from the ReachStacker may also help ports to reduce operating costs.

Visitors to the event attended presentations by strategic experts involved in the projects, in addition to getting the opportunity to see the prototype hydrogen refuelling processes being put in place at the port.

“Seeing is believing, so it was great to show our HFC ReachStacker solution in action,” says Jan-Willem van den Brand, Director Global Market Development, Hyster. “Our breakthrough design enables the HFC ReachStacker to lift laden containers with a similar performance to a diesel counterpart, a capability that has the potential to help transform ports to zero-emission operations, supporting sustainability goals. The real-world application tests in Valencia are giving us a wealth of feedback and insight that will continue to help us drive zero-emission innovations for port operations.”