24.07.2023

First fuel cell booms

Speedy Hire in the UK has been trialling a 50ft Nifty HR17 H₂ Hydrogen-Electric boom lift with key customers - the first such product to be ready for market.

The first full production versions of the new boom are due to start shipping to Speedy depots in the next week or two, they will, we understand, be the first of deliveries of an order for around 100 units.

Over the past few weeks Speedy has been placing the test and evaluation version of this innovative new lift with some of its major customers, especially those looking to improve their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ratings or working in ultra-low emission areas. The order includes both the HR17H₂ and its smaller brother – the 43ft HR15H₂ Hydrogen-Electric.

The new models are the result of a two year development partnership between Niftylift and Speedy to develop such a machine. In simplistic terms, the new models are the latest versions of the manufacturer's standard all-electric, two wheel drive boom lifts, with direct electric wheel motor drive and AGM maintenance free batteries, with a lithium-ion battery option.

As straight electric machines, the new lifts are said to be capable of four to five days of work in typical applications, between recharges. The H₂ models are equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell, fed by a standard G20 hydrogen gas cylinder, which produces electricity to top up the battery pack when necessary. It is possible to set the system to constantly top up the batteries. Or when the state of charge drops to a preset level.

Assuming a standard AC electrical source is available on site, the batteries can also be topped up by plugging them in like an ordinary electric, thus reducing hydrogen consumption. However, for sites where there is no power, a single hydrogen cylinder should enable the machine to run for more than 12 working days of typical usage before requiring a cylinder change. The system can also alert the operator and owning company when the gas level in the cylinder falls below a preset point, so that they are prepared for a replacement.

exclusivity
Speedy has placed a £9 million order for 'sustainable access products' this year, including, the 100 or so Nifty Hydrogen-Electric boom lifts for delivery this year, or at the very least over the next 12 months. If everything goes to plan, the order will be repeated for at least two more years, as part of a three year exclusivity deal, in which Speedy will be the only rental company in the UK to offer these new boom lifts.

Speedy’s chief executive, Dan Evans, said: “We have a strong history of leading the market in combining product innovation and sustainability, and our collaboration with NiftyLift is yet another example of that. Our sustainable growth strategy, Velocity, sets out a clear direction for the business to deliver long-term benefits to our customers, our people and our investors and this is a strong example of Velocity in action."

"Our investment and collaboration with Niftylift enable us to accelerate the sustainable and technological evolution in the sectors where we operate and supports our ambitious plan to become a net-zero business by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Government’s target, whilst also enduring commercial sustainability against traditional alternatives for our customers.”

Speedy’s powered access managing director Andy Briggs added: “This is an exciting new addition to our specialist products and services. The phenomenal single charging capability of the Niftylift hydrogen-electric access platform is the powered access equivalent of launching a new vehicle with a thousand-mile range, and that’s before you add the additional capacity of the hydrogen fuel cell. This innovation will enable our customers to hire a game-changing and repeatable on-site solution, which helps them meet their operational net-zero targets of the future.”

Vertikal Comment

We first saw the HR17H₂ at an industry event in September 2022 when it appeared to be ready to go. However, in the nine months since, the two companies have been testing and developing the concept to ensure that it works well in the real world. It looks like a very promising solution for sites where, at least for the first half of a project, mains power is either non-existent or very limited.

Speedy is however, likely to face resistance or nervousness from some potential customers, given that the simple mention of bringing hydrogen onsite causes concern, due to its explosive reputation. The company’s strategy of adding so many of these machines to its fleet before a proven demand has been demonstrated, may look like a brave step, but having a decent number of machines working in the field, cannot by help overcome any such phycological barriers. And if so places the company out on front of its competitors.

The cylinder/fuel cell concept looks like an optimal solution for mid-sized equipment such as boom lifts. The machines are clean, quiet and powerful as well as being low maintenance and capable of running for two or three weeks or more on a single cylinder of hydrogen, which can then be quickly and easily changed. It must surely be better than the alternative hydrogen/internal combustion solution, although that might prove to be the most suitable method for the largest types of equipment.

To be truly environmentally friendly both hydrogen formats do, of course, require a plentiful supply of ‘green’ hydrogen produced from sources such as wind, solar or hydroelectric power.

In summary – our hats are off to both Nifty and Speedy for getting on and commercialising this new concept, rather than just talking about it. We will keep an eye on how these machines work out in when customers are paying for them and hope to carry out a site visit or two and perhaps an interview with those responsible for making this happen.