H2- fuel cell production

STILL has often played a pioneering role in the introduction of sustainable technologies. Whether electric drive, hybrid solutions or autonomous driving - the intralogistics specialist was quick to recognise that innovative technologies not only meet the needs of its customers but can also make an important contribution to sustainability.

One of the most recent examples is the company's own production of hydrogen-based fuel cell systems, which was launched in November 2023. This makes STILL the first intralogistics manufacturer in Europe to offer trucks with its own integrated fuel cell system ex works. And - as is STILL's claim - developed ready for series production.

New solutions for changing requirements

This significant step towards 'new energy' is a direct response to changing customer needs: More and more companies are turning to electricity to power their forklift fleets in order to become independent of fossil fuels such as diesel or gas. And this is not the end of the story, as Gesa Kaatz, Energy Advisor at STILL, explains: "At the same time, we know that the expectation of maximum availability in terms of the interplay between vehicle, fleet management and service, which STILL has long offered as a package, remains. Not forgetting the other important requirement of using energy as efficiently as possible."

These requirements fit perfectly with STILL's own sustainability approach with its focus on circularity. This is leading to more and more circularity in products and production processes and now to the launch of the company's own fuel cell production. “Here, too, circularity was taken into account from the very beginning," emphasises Kaatz.

To recycle the batteries, STILL entered into a partnership with the Canadian specialist Li-Cycle at the beginning of 2024. At its European site in Magdeburg, Li-Cycle professionally reprocesses the used battery material so that it can be used to produce new cells. This also closes the material cycle. The same applies to the tank, which has a specific expiry date: it can be used for ten years after production. After that, it can be pressure-tested by the supplier and possibly reused. Or it can be scrapped and the material recycled.
 

Recycling STILL Li-ion batteries

We have also closed the recycling loop for our lithium-ion batteries. Watch the video to see how recycling works at our strategic partner Li-Cycle.

More than 20 years of experience

Starting fuel cell production is no coincidence. STILL has more than two decades of experience with hydrogen. Since 2003, the company has been researching the feasibility, safety and benefits of this energy source in intralogistics in various projects. And since 2017, the biggest fleet of hydrogen-powered industrial trucks in Europe in STILL Orange has been in use at the French retail giant Carrefour: 137 trucks.

"The findings we have gathered make us certain: hydrogen is a sustainable technology, battery systems alone are not enough," says Kaatz confidently. The German government shares this view: Germany is pursuing a national hydrogen strategy, and a core network of pipelines is being created. "The market is on the move. Customers are starting to convert their technology, and those who are not yet ready are preparing. "Our offer to order ‘Fuel Cell Ready’ vehicles is attracting increasing interest from our customers," reports Kaatz. "This enables them to switch from lead-acid or lithium-ion battery power to hydrogen at a later date with very little effort."

STILL's many years of experience with hydrogen also led to the fuel cell system. Customers benefit not only from clean, emission-free intralogistics and a reduced operational CO2 footprint, as the only by-product is water or water vapour. There are also decisive advantages in everyday use, namely "absolute availability": the vehicles can be used for up to eight hours without any loss of performance and can be refuelled extremely quickly in a maximum of three minutes. There is no need for time-consuming battery changes or intermediate charging. Instead, everything comes from a single source: the vehicle, the fuel cell system and the service.

This also works on a trial basis. STILL offers an integrated rental solution consisting of trucks, mobile refuelling system and associated advice, which is particularly interesting for smaller fleets.

End-of-line test bench at work

From pressure testing to leak testing and functional testing, every fuel cell system produced goes through this complex process.

As always, safety comes first at STILL. For this reason, every system is thoroughly tested on a specially developed end-of-line test bench before it goes into operation. The company also works with specialised project developers and refuelling solution specialists to ensure that customer companies can benefit from their hydrogen infrastructure as quickly as possible.

Investing in the future

Climate-friendly green hydrogen in particular can also drive forward the energy transition in intralogistics. Increasingly expensive fossil fuels are making its use more and more attractive, says Kaatz: "If the economy and society take the opportunities offered by hydrogen seriously, it will become a real opportunity for all of us. STILL is well prepared for this".