Air Liquide in the U.S. to power Coca-Cola hydrogen forklift fleet at California facility

Air Liquide Industrial U.S. LP (Air Liquide) will supply hydrogen to power a fleet of 37 forklift vehicles at Coca-Cola’s bottling and distribution center in San Leandro, California. Air Liquide will provide the liquid hydrogen, filling station and infrastructure to power the forklift fleet at Coca-Cola’s 250,000 square foot facility.

Hydrogen fuel cell powered forklift trucks represent an important segment of the hydrogen energy market. These types of vehicles are virtually greenhouse gas emissions free. Using these vehicles can help the Coca-Cola save 1.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually by removing the infrastructure associated with traditional lead-acid batteries.

Hydrogen is a key growth market for Air Liquide in North America as well as an area of focus for the company to enable industry by developing and deploying innovative, energy efficient and environmentally friendly solutions.

This agreement is Air Liquide’s second hydrogen fueling installation of this type in North America that combines the hydrogen supply and refilling expertise of Air Liquide with Plug Power’s GenDrive® fuel cell solution. The first such agreement was Air Liquide’s forklift installation at Walmart Canada’s sustainable distribution center in Alberta, Canada.

In 2010, Air Liquide has provided more than 40,000 hydrogen fills worldwide. The company has a number of other filling installations in North America, including those for buses and other vehicles. Air Liquide provided hydrogen and filling infrastructure for transit buses at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Other hydrogen partnerships are arising all over the world: Air Liquide will provide one hydrogen station in Oslo, Norway to supply five buses from a Norwegian transportation company. In Japan, two other hydrogen filling stations were recently delivered including one for the regional government of Saga to demonstrate the feasibility of a complete “green hydrogen” chain from wood chips to clean mobility.

Michael J. Graff, President & CEO of American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. and member of the Air Liquide Group Executive Committee: “Air Liquide continues to pave the way in providing innovative technology and demonstrated solutions for global challenges such as energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. The Coca-Cola installation is the latest to validate hydrogen as a practical and commercially viable fuel source and Air Liquide’s leading role in this growing global market. Both Energy and the Environment are growth drivers of the Air Liquide Group."

“Sustainability is a core component of our business at Coca-Cola and we have a goal to be the beverage industry leader in energy conservation and climate protection,” said Brian P. Kelly, Product Supply Leader, Coca-Cola Refreshments. “Converting to hydrogen fuel cell powered forklifts in our San Leandro facility represents one more step towards our commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 15 percent by 2020.”