The equipment was installed at one of the online marketplace giant’s Colorado fulfillment centers.

Plug Power Inc. has announced that it has successfully completed the installation of an electrolyzer at a Colorado Amazon fulfilment center, where it will be used for green hydrogen production.

The H2 produced by the electrolyzer will be used to power fuel cell forklift trucks at the site.

The green hydrogen electrolyzer system is a one-megawatt proton exchange membrane unit. It represents the first to be installed for Amazon, and will start by producing low-carbon H2, as opposed to fully renewable H2, to fuel over 225 fuel cell forklift trucks at the Aurora, Colorado DEN8 site. The equipment can be used to produce truly clean H2 when powered by renewable energy such as solar or wind power.

The Plug Power electrolyzer works by using electricity to split water molecules and produce H2. It can support as many as 400 fuel cell forklifts. The H2 produced at the site will be compressed for storage in H2 tanks for use on demand by the forklift trucks.

The move will bring Amazon closer to using green hydrogen and its decarbonization goals.

“In Amazon, we have a true partner that recognizes the essential role hydrogen plays in our collective energy future,” said Andy Marsh, chief executive officer at Plug Power.

“This project demonstrates Plug’s ability to execute across the full hydrogen value chain, and shows how we can design and implement end-to-end solutions for our customers.”

Working with Amazon again

This is not the first time Plug Power has worked with Amazon. It has already collaborated with the ecommerce and tech giant in the deployment of over 17,000 fuel cells to replace forklift batteries. This equipment is located at over 80 North American fulfillment centers. At the majority of those locations, the H2 needed for the fuel cell forklifts is produced offsite, liquified, and transported by truck to an onsite storage and dispensing system.

The electrolyzer installation represents an opportunity for Plug Power and Amazon to work together to produce the low-carbon or green hydrogen onsite, reducing the necessity for liquifying the H2 and transporting it by truck powered by fossil fuel.

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