News Alert - November 30, 2011

A Berliner Stadtreinigung refuse collection vehicle is producing 30% less CO2 and NOx emissions due to the use of a 32kW hydrogen powered fuel cell from Hydrogenics.

Using Hydrogenics HD-16 fuel cells, Heliocentris and FAUN have developed a quiet and emission-free loading Garbage Truck. The Rotopress vehicle has been equipped with a fully-electric driven refuse collection body and a fuel cell system. The fuel cell provides electricity for refuse loading, so that diesel is no longer being used and is required only to drive the vehicle. This results in a saving of up to three liters of diesel per hour, which leads to a reduction of CO2 and NOx emissions of up to 30%.

Heliocentris has integrated all components of the on-board power supply into a compact unit which is installed between the rotating drum and driver's cab. In addition to the fuel cell system, this so-called "Power Box" also contains the hydrogen tanks, the required air supply and the exhaust systems. To cover peak loads, ultra capacitors are also incorporated. FAUN delivered the unit this summer and it has started a 2 year trial.

In Basel Switzerland, a fuel cell driven street sweeper has just completed its first active year of service. Sweeping the streets clean with zero-emission technology from Hydrogenics.

An HD-16 fuel cell module from Hydrogenics was integrated into a fuel cell/battery electric drive train of a Bucher CC2020 street cleaner and passed certification trials in late 2010.

Various project targets including fuel cell consumption have been achieved. The unit initially netted a diesel fuel equivalent consumption of 1.7 l per hour as compared to between 4.5 and 6.5 l per hour for a conventional diesel only unit. A full project report by Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology) is scheduled for release in 2012.