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At present, fossil fuels (ie, oil, natural gas and coal) account for the overwhelming majority of the world’s primary energy consumption. As any schoolboy with an interest in chemistry knows, these fuels comprise mixtures of hydrocarbons which, when combusted in order to release energy, are converted largely to CO2 and water.
Projections of how long fossil-fuel reserves will last tend to vary but, with growing concern over the impact of greenhouse gasses on climate change and, following recent events, energy security issues now high on the political agenda, a move away from a fossil fuel-based energy economy seems inevitable.
Measures such as the Kyoto Protocol have been put in place to mitigate the impact of rising carbon dioxide levels and other greenhouse gases and pressure is mounting on the automotive sector to reduce CO2 emissions in vehicles. With environmental concerns high on the corporate agenda, Europe’s forklift truck manufacturers are also addressing the issue.
Some forklift manufacturers are investigating the use of hydrogen in internal combustion engines. Hydrogen generates no CO2 emissions in the combustion process but, because it is not a natural energy source, the generation of hydrogen from hydrocarbons or water requires significant energy input. The most common route to hydrogen production is steam reforming of natural gas to produce a ‘syngas’ mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The carbon monoxide is then combined with water to form CO2 and more hydrogen. This process is commercially well established on a large scale in the chemical industry but clearly generates greenhouse gas emissions.
Hydrogen’s critics also point out that hydrogen’s low energy density, high volatility, diffusivity and wide flammability range means that its storage, transportation and distribution are problematic and expensive.
Jungheinrich’s engineers are working on a wide variety of alternative power sources, one of which - methanol - is viewed as one of the better options for fuelling internal combustion engines.
A liquid alcohol fuel primarily produced from natural gas, methanol can use conventional storage, distribution and transport infrastructures with minimal modification, while engines running on methanol can achieve high thermal efficiencies and high performance levels.
In a recent report, the University of Southern California hailed the use of methanol as a way for the world to reduce and ultimately liberate itself from its dependence on fossil fuel reserves while mitigating the effects on the climate caused by the excessive generation of CO2 .
The technology required to run engines on methanol is not new – its been used by motor racing community in the US for some years - and Jungheinrich has already produced and is currently testing a range of tow tractors that run on the fuel. Early results are extremely encouraging and a prototype methanol-powered forklift is not far away.
It is our belief that the methanol solution represents the best option and is particularly suited for use with small trucks such as low level order pickers and powered pallet trucks - which, of course, make up the bulk of fleets in the retail and logistics sectors.
In the transition away from fossil fuels, a wide variety of fuel options will evolve and the availability of various liquid and gaseous fuels with a variety of different physical and chemical properties will require a re-assessment of the way in which a fuel’s environmental impact is measured.
For the environmentally conscious forklift manufacturer the energy requirements of the design, development, production, maintenance and disposal processes of the truck all have to be considered when designing a new model and for the specifier, these things also have to be taken into account when deciding which manufacturer has the most eco-friendly offering.
When it comes to a forklift’s fuel source, an evaluation of the fuel exploration methods, production, transportation and distribution will become increasingly necessary in order to fully assess the full environmental impact of the truck. Which is why Jungheinrich believes with its significant advantages in terms of infrastructure costs and ease of distribution and storage and high performance levels, methanol represents an interesting option.
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