2023-12-28 13:27:00
A Amazon is planning to produce cells of hydrogen fuel in its own product distribution centers to serve the forklifts operating in these locations. This is one of the company’s initiatives towards a more sustainable process.
According to The Verge, the retail giant partnered with hydrogen company Plug Power to install the first electrolyzer, equipment that splits water molecules to produce hydrogen, at a distribution center in Aurora, Colorado, USA.
The electrolyzer is expected to produce fuel to power regarding 225 forklifts at this distribution center, although Plug Power claims the device can power up to 400 forklifts powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
According to The Verge, this is the first time that Amazon has tried to produce its own hydrogen to power a distribution center and it is not likely to be the last. The company is reportedly planning to expand the model to other units.
“Hydrogen is an important tool in our efforts to decarbonize our operations by 2040,” said Amazon’s director of global hydrogen economics, in the press release announcing the installation of the first electrolyzer.
Hydrogen is seen by several experts as a cleaner-burning alternative to fossil fuels, which is why Amazon has been using it in forklifts in its warehouses in North America since 2016 and is now going to start producing it.
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On-site hydrogen production can eliminate exhaust pollution caused by trucking the fuel, but the electrolyzer is connected to the electrical grid and fossil fuels still make up regarding 60% of the U.S. electrical mix.
To produce truly green hydrogen, Amazon would have to ensure that its new electrolyzer runs on renewable energy. The company is considering combining it with clean energy generated on site, but does not have a concrete timeline for doing so.
Hydrogen produces water vapor rather than greenhouse gas emissions during combustion, a characteristic that made it more attractive to companies and governments who work to meet climate goals for the coming years.
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