BMW is using zero emission power units developed in the East Midlands to drive some of its factory equipment.
The German car giant is using hydrogen fuel cells made by Intelligent Energy its driverless vehicles that move parts around the production lines at its Leipzig factory.
The Loughborough-based green tech developer has been working with BMW and other partners on the plans for the past two years. The first automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to use its fuel cells started operating in January and more will now be converted.
The Loughborough University spin-out– a winner at the 2022 LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards – is based on the university science and enterprise park, and has spent years researching and developing low carbon hydrogen fuels cells to power electric motors in everything from bikes, cars and planes to people’s homes.
It said the “plug and play” IE-LIFT module being used in the BMW factory delivers improved performance in vehicles such as forklifts and trucks, allowing fleet operators to easily transition to cleaner power, with quicker refuelling time and improved performance.
David Fields, head of product line at IE-LIFT, said: "I have been proud to be part of this project from the first discussions in 2020.
“All parties have worked hard to develop a reliable package and I am pleased to see the first units operating on the Leipzig production line.
“Our IE-LIFT MHE module will help companies switch to fuel cell powered MHE on the factory floor or in warehouses."
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Stefan Hanisch-Meinel is project manager at German vehicle developer FES GmbH Fahrzeug-Entwicklung Sachsen, which worked with the 海角视频 business.
He said: "The modularity of our product, the H2 E-Pack including Intelligent Energy’s great IE-LIFT, allowed us to implement the system in the BMW AGV in a very short development time.
“We are proud to be able to contribute to the expansion of the climate neutrality of the BMW Group plant in Leipzig."
Intelligent Energy has developed hydrogen fuel cells for customers in the automotive, aerospace, generator, telecoms, materials handling and unmanned aerial vehicle sectors around the world.
The Loughborough operation recently hosted senior representatives from the German state of Saxony to showcase its technology and discuss collaboration plans as the company looks to expand its footprint across Europe.
During the visit Martin Dulig, the state’s deputy prime minister and its minister for economic affairs, labour and transport, said his government’s new hydrogen strategy could contribute to making Europe's energy supply independent and carbon neutral.
Intelligent Energy hopes its technology will also form a key plank of the 海角视频 Government’s decarbonisation agenda – saying its hydrogen fuel cells are an off-the-shelf zero emission technology, with a long run-time range, which can be filled up once a week, and where the only emission is water.
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