Prelodis Commissions Plug Power GenDrive Units at Site in France

Plug Power Inc.

, a leader in providing clean, reliable energy solutions, has announced Prelodis as its recent European GenDrive customer. Plug Power has fully shipped and commissioned units for Prelodis to use at its new-construction (greenfield) logistics facility located in Saint Cry en Val, a community close to Orléans in north-central France. This center is operated by Prelocentre, a subsidiary of Prelodis, and runs three shifts of operation. The GenDrive units at Prelocentre have been operational since August 31, 2015 in the 20,000 sq ft. retail food warehouse. Additionally, a 33,000 sq. ft. extension has been planned and offers an opportunity for onsite expansion of the GenDrive-powered lift truck fleet. "The recently formed European division of Plug Power has already realized sales, and has shipped and commissioned product for commercial customers with real expansion opportunities," said Andy Marsh, CEO at Plug Power. "Just like in North America, these customers value productivity, efficiency and sustainability – all items our GenDrive value proposition brings to the table." The sale of GenDrive fuel cells to Prelodis marks Plug Power's first greenfield project in Europe, where emission standards are critical. GenDrive is powered by hydrogen, generating only heat and water as byproducts. Even more so, Prelodis has built its new facility with no battery room, showing its deep commitment to hydrogen fuel cell power now and into the future. As with the enormous value realized by Plug Power's current customer base, Prelodis will also experience increased productivity from its electric lift truck fleet. GenDrive enables the vehicles to maintain full power for a complete shift, and the need to change batteries is eliminated. The GenDrive units are refueled in just a few minutes, compared to the 15 minutes needed to change a battery. "Prelodis selected Plug Power's GenDrive fuel cell solution for its greenfield site in France because the company appreciates the productivity-enhancing impact the solution can offer and they fully anticipate the quick and positive return on investment achieved through avoiding costs associated with batteries," continued Marsh. "Most importantly, Prelodis appreciates the sustainability advantages to be realized by using hydrogen-powered fuel cells in the facility's lift truck vehicles." Plug Power currently offers a full suite of CE-certified GenDrive models that meet the specifications and qualifications of European lift trucks. The Plug Power European sales team is actively engaged with customers in areas with high labor costs.