CINCINNATI--May 24, 2012: The Procter & Gamble Company today announced that it is converting its battery-operated forklift fleets at three facilities to ones powered with hydrogen fuel cells. Fuel cells are a leading edge technology that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity efficiently without combustion, with the goal of producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
“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.”
The first three P&G manufacturing facilities to use the greener forklifts-- one each in California, North Carolina, and Louisiana -- will begin converting the trucks' batteries to fuel cells within weeks with Plug Power, Inc. supplying the new technology.
"Fuel cell forklifts can be a financially attractive proposition that increase productivity while helping us reach our sustainability vision," said P&G's Stefano Zenezini, vice president, Global Family Care Product Supply and Global Product Supply Sustainability. "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." 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.
The first three sites will see over 200 forklifts powered with hydrogen fuel cells. Other sites are being studied for future conversions. "This is just another step on our environmental sustainability journey," Zenezini said. "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."
