New technology will help MTI to become hydrogen training centre of excellence

The MIRA Technology Institute is a step closer to becoming a hydrogen training centre of excellence after introducing a hydrogen-powered Toyota Levio LPE 220 powered pallet truck to its world-class training facility.

Home to North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College’s (NWSLC) specialist automotive courses, the MIRA Technology Institute (MTI) in Nuneaton was created to satisfy an ever-increasing demand for specialist skills in the engineering and automotive sectors.

MTI lecturers will use the new pallet truck to develop the institute’s hydrogen training capabilities and hydrogen vehicle awareness workshops.

It will also be used to move heavy automotive parts and complete cars around MTI’s fully equipped workshop to locations where they can be easily and safely accessed and studied by students.

NWSLC Emerging Technology Delivery Manager Craig Line said: “We plan to develop hydrogen training specifically for logistics professionals who want to learn how their warehouses or distribution centres can benefit from hydrogen material handling technology as well as hydrogen vehicle awareness workshops that focus on the skills truck operators need to ensure that they use the new technology efficiently and safely. 

“Having the Toyota hydrogen pallet truck in our workshop helps lecturers clarify concepts and communicate information to students very effectively.”

The pallet truck is usually powered by a lead acid or Lithium-Ion battery but, to meet the MTI’s sustainability plans and double up as a new hydrogen training demo tool for courses, the truck was ordered with a hydrogen fuel cell. With a 2.2 tonne load capacity the hydrogen-powered Levio LPE 220 takes just two to three minutes to fully refuel and gives off zero emissions.  

The MIRA Technology Park is in the process of installing the infrastructure needed to produce and store hydrogen on site. A hydrogen electrolyser system will be used to convert energy from the sun’s rays into the hydrogen needed to power the truck’s fuel cells. This means 100 per cent of the hydrogen the MTI needs to run the truck will come from onsite renewable sources.

MTI acquired the pallet truck from Toyota Material Handling.

The company’s Hydrogen Product Manager, Phil Tunney, said: “Toyota’s experience with hydrogen-powered forklifts goes back nearly two decades. Toyota Hydrogen fuel cell-forklifts have been in operation at sites across the Nordic region and Europe as well as Australia for several years. And, of course, in the automotive sector the Toyota Mirai is at the forefront of a new age of hydrogen fuel cell cars that deliver long distance zero-emissions driving.

“With operators of some very large materials handling equipment fleets, keen to embrace the productivity and sustainability benefits hydrogen technology can deliver, we are anticipating a big up-take of hydrogen-powered trucks in the UK logistics industry. Ninety-five per cent of trucks in the Toyota range can already be supplied from our factory with a fuel cell installed.”

The MTI is the result of a unique collaboration led by North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) and its partners HORIBA MIRA, Coventry University, the University of Leicester and Loughborough University.