FedEx introduces hydrogen fuel cell GSE

Developed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, PlugPower Inc. and CharlatteAmerica, the zero emissions ground support equipment is the first of its kind.    FedEx Corp. has partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy, Plug Power Inc. and CharlatteAmerica to introduce “world’s first zero emissions, hydrogen fuel cell ground support equipment,” according to a statement from the company.
   Developed using funding from a $2.5-million DOE grant, FedEx now operates 15 hydrogen fuel cell-powered Charlatte GSEs and one Plug Power Inc. hydrogen fueling station.
   The 15 hydrogen fuel cell powered GSE cargo tractors are fueled by hydrogen, which is dispensed directly into the fuel cell systems by truck drivers from a 15,000 gallon liquid hydrogen fueling infrastructure.
   “While these hydrogen fuel cell powered cargo tractors may not look big, they are capable of pulling 40,000 lbs. of cargo on airport dollies in even the harshest weather conditions; and they embody our strong commitments to innovation and to reducing our environmental footprint,” said John Dunavant, vice president of the FedEx Express World Hub in Memphis, Tennessee.
   Plug Power Inc. CEO Andy Marsh said of the project, “GenDrive hydrogen fuel cell-powered equipment offers significant values – they are incredibly efficient and have zero emissions, only producing heat and water as by-products. We are proud to be working with FedEx and US DOE on innovative applications that are expanding the use of hydrogen fuel cells across the country.”
   According to the Annual FedEx Global Citizenship Report released April 2, FedEx Express improved its overall vehicle fuel efficiency 2.5 percent in 2014, bringing the cumulative improvement to 29.5 percent since 2005.
   “We believe that we can decrease our environmental footprint while simultaneously expanding our business – and the data backs that up,” said Mitch Jackson, vice president of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability. “This year, we continued to reduce our emissions even as our revenue and the number of items we deliver have gone up.”
   FedEx also recently worked with Plug Power and the DOE to install GenDrive brand hydrogen fuel cells in 35 forklifts at a FedEx Freight facility in Springfield, MO.