SMYRNA, TN — Nissan North America is replacing battery chargers with fuel cells as a way of cutting greenhouse gas emissions and boosting productivity at its Smyrna manufacturing facility.
By switching to methanol-powered fuel cells, which act as onboard battery chargers for the tugs used to move vehicle parts throughout the 5.4 million square foot facility, Nissan will avoid some 300 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions every year, roughly the equivalent of taking 50 vehicles off the road.
The electric battery chargers that currently power the tugs use about 540,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity every year. The switch will also cut Nissan’s electric bill and save the company money in productivity, Nissan said last week.
“The methanol fuel cells have made us more productive by saving us almost 35 hours a day that were spent by employees changing out batteries,” Mark Sorgi, Nissan’s manager of material handling, said in a statement. “There’s no changing out of low or dead batteries, which involves a battery technician and 15 to 20 minutes. Now the tug driver can refill the fuel cell in less than one minute and they’re on their way.”
Methanol is largely made using natural gas as a feedstock, but can also be made from wood, grass or coal. The methanol fuel cells were produced by Fremont, Calif.-based Oorja Protonics, designed to power forklifts, pallet loaders and automated vehicles.
Since 2005, Nissan’s efforts to improve its energy efficiency -- 32 percent -- have saved the company more than $3.5 million annually.
It has also taken steps to lighten the environmental impact of its products and materials. For instance, it switched to water-based paint that produces fewer volatile organic compounds, while also developing the ECO Pedal vehicle feature to give drivers real-time feedback on their fuel consumption in order to influence driver behavior.
Earlier this month Nissan unveiled the Leaf, a battery-powered car that will enter showrooms by the end of 2010. The 5-seat hatchback will have a range of more than 100 miles between charges, which may take as little as 30 minutes for 80 percent capacity.