Plug Power Bringing Fuel Cell Technology to Seventh Wal-Mart Center

Plug Power Inc. has received an order from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to add its hydrogen fuel cell power solution to a seventh location, in addition to the original six-site contract with the retailer it announced in February. The additional site will be in Sterling, Ill.

The GenKey system combines  GenDrive fuel cell units, GenFuel infrastructure construction and hydrogen fuel supply, and GenCare onsite maintenance service. Wal-Mart is using the fuel cell technology to operate forklifts at several of its distribution centers.

In February Plug Power received its original order from Wal-Mart to roll out 1,783 GenDrive fuel cells in the forklift fleets at six sites across North America.

The system went online at the first of the sites, in Pottsville, Pa., in the second quarter of 2014. Plug Power deployed almost 300 GenDrive fuel cell units in Walmart’s Class 2 and Class 3 electric lift trucks. Additionally, Plug Power built and commissioned Wal-Mart Pottsville’s outdoor and indoor GenFuel infrastructure in less than 13 weeks following the receipt of the initial order.

To date, the GenDrive units in Pottsville have accumulated over 100,000 hours of run-time, and the GenFuel infrastructure has dispensed more than 9,900 kilograms of fuel.

“The original contract deployments are proceeding, and the timely completion of the first GenFuel build helps validate our turnkey capability,” said Andy Marsh, CEO at Plug Power. “We are excited to help Wal-Mart realize the positive impact of GenKey in so many locations in 2014.”

GenDrive fuel cell units are currently powering electric lift truck fleets at four Wal-Mart distribution centers in North America – two in Canada and two in the U.S.