PRESS RELEASE: Billerica, Mass., May 16, 2014 — A PowerTap® hydrogen generator went live at Ace Hardware’s new state-of-the-art Retail Support Center in West Jefferson, Ohio. This is the second facility for Ace that is equipped with a Nuvera® PowerTap PT-50 on-site hydrogen generator and fueling solution. The system produces and dispenses up to 50 kg/day of high-purity hydrogen to service a fleet of 35 fuel cell-powered reach trucks and 36 fuel cell pallet jacks running a single 10-hour shift, five days a week, plus a floor scrubber. The investment is expected to result in electrical consumption savings for Ace of 330,115 kWh annually by avoiding the need to charge a battery-powered fleet.

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Nuvera® hydrogen generation equipment is located on a concrete pad outside of the facility. Indoor floor space otherwise occupied by the battery room is re-dedicated to productive use with hydrogen dispensers conveniently located based on operational needs. As demonstrated at Ace’s first fuel cell forklift installation in Wilmer, Texas, Ace hopes to enjoy improved operational productivity from its fuel cell forklift fleet, based on vehicle range extensions of 300 percent or more, full-power consistency in operational voltage and refuel times under two minutes, offered by fuel cell-powered versus battery-powered fleets.

“The implementation of a hydrogen fuel cell-based application for our material handling equipment advances Ace’s efforts to use clean energy,” said Dave Forte, Director of Distribution Support and Engineering at Ace Hardware. By using Nuvera’s PowerTap® equipment to generate hydrogen from natural gas and city water, the first site in Wilmer, Texas is on track to reduce carbon dioxide emissions caused by material handling equipment by 70 tons within a year. Similar in scale, the Ohio distribution center is another greenfield site expected to achieve equivalent greenhouse gas reductions. 

Ace had multiple options when considering a hydrogen source to enable the productivity gains of its new fuel cell fleets. Rather than rely on delivered hydrogen, Ace chose on-site hydrogen generation. With PowerTap®, Nuvera provides a scalable solution to match energy demands of a growing fleet. “The cost of hydrogen is a key enabler of the fuel cell value proposition. We are very pleased to work with Ace Hardware to provide a cost-effective and modular hydrogen solution across multiple locations,” explains Prabhu Rao, Chief Commercial Officer at Nuvera. Beyond providing efficiently scaled supply, on-site generation avoids permitting and safety issues associated with storing large amounts of hydrogen on the premises, since the hydrogen is used as it is generated. On-site hydrogen generation also offers substantial environmental benefits and logistical advantages. It eliminates the carbon footprint and energy losses associated with fuel delivery, as well as the logistical issues related to storage and delivery of hydrogen.

 

ABOUT NUVERA FUEL CELLS, LLC
Nuvera Fuel Cells is an alternative-power technology company focused on fuel cell stacks and related systems, on-site hydrogen production and dispensing systems for both commercial end-users and OEMs. Located in the U.S. and Europe, Nuvera manufactures hydrogen supply and fuel cell power products designed for efficiency, safety, and productivity.

Explore the nuvera.com products menu and get Nuvera® fuel cell system, hydrogen generation and hydrogen station product details (including specification sheets, sustainability sheets and eBook “How to Consider Total Cost of Ownership.”)

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