By Greentech Lead America: Procter & Gamble is
converting its battery-operated forklift fleets at three facilities with
hydrogen fuel cells. Fuel cells produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions and its
technology combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity efficiently
without combustion.
P&G manufacturing facilities to use the greener
forklifts including one each in California, North Carolina, and Louisiana. The
facilities will begin converting the trucks’ batteries to fuel cells within
weeks. Plug Power will supply the new technology.
The fuel cells enable the truck to sustain its power over
an entire shift, require less routine maintenance and are much faster to
refuel. It takes about two minutes to replenish a forklift with high-pressure
hydrogen gas.
“Fuel cell forklifts can be a financially attractive
proposition that increase productivity while helping us reach our
sustainability vision. Our internal analysis shows that we can not only achieve
the sustainability benefits, but can also achieve an attractive rate of return
on our investment at the same time,” said Stefano Zenezini, P&G’s vice
president, Global Family Care Product Supply and Global Product Supply
Sustainability. Â
P&G will convert more than 200 forklifts with
hydrogen fuel cells at the first three sites. P&G plans to expand this
program to other sites in near future.
“Two additional sites are in the advanced study phase for
conversion, and we’ll continue to look for opportunities like this where
innovation has made going green a win for our shareholders as much as it has
the environment,” added Zenezini.
P&G in pact with Alliance to Save Energy to promote energy
efficiency
Recently, Procter & Gamble announced a strategic
partnership with the Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit organization that
promotes energy efficiency worldwide through research, education and advocacy,
to educate public on the environmental and energy savings benefits of washing
laundry in cold water.
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