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    DHL Supply Chain Assisting Spirits Maker Diageo to Integrate Nikola H2 Fuel Cell Trucks

    Oct. 24, 2024
    The two Class 8 trucks were manufactured by Nikola Corp. The vehicles are being deployed and fueled by Nikola’s HYLA modular hydrogen refueling station at Diageo’s campus in Plainfield, Illinois.
    Image credit Nikola and Diageo
    671a6dc0521c6e6c96be326b Nikola Diageo 4 Edit

    Cargo logistics firm DHL Supply Chain helped beverage company Diageo North America integrate two hydrogen (H2)  fuel cell-electric trucks into its fleet in Illinois.

    The two Class 8 trucks were manufactured by Nikola Corp. The vehicles are being deployed and fueled by Nikola’s HYLA modular hydrogen refueling station at Diageo’s campus in Plainfield.

    Hydrogen-fueled vehicles do not emit carbon dioxide, while boasting longer range and shorter refueling times than battery electric trucks, according to reports. Fuel cells convert fuel into electricity via an electrochemical reaction process.

    "We are thrilled to integrate Nikola's hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks into our U.S. fleet," said Jim Monkmeyer, President of Transportation, DHL Supply Chain, in a statement. "As a global logistics company with the goal of decarbonizing its business, we’ve integrated sustainability as a fourth strategic bottom line named "Green Logistics of Choice" in our newly announced Strategy 2030. The deployment of these fuel cell electric vehicles is one of many initiatives that demonstrates how we are putting action behind our words.”

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    Screenshot credit Diageo
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    The Nikola H2 trucks reportedly can drive up to 500 miles on a single fill. They will replace two diesel trucks and, by comparison, reduce emissions by 80% over the course of a year, according to the companies.

    Diageo’s hub in Plainfield has expanded in recent years and includes manufacturing, bottling and warehousing facilities. It produces some of the company’s most identifiable brands, including Captain Morgan rum and Smirnoff vodka.

    In 2022, Diageo opened a new canning operation in Plainfield. The 225,000-square-foot facility increased the company’s canning capacity by several million units of adult beverages per year.

    DHL Supply Chain, Diageo North America, and Nikola collaborated for more than 18 months to ensure a successful deployment. The groundbreaking initiative involved extensive coordination with state and local stakeholders to enable a smooth and safe rollout. The collaboration entailed reviewing critical operational parameters, conducting trial runs under real-world operating conditions, and securing permissions to operate hydrogen fueling assets.

    “We’re proud to work alongside visionary partners like DHL and Diageo in driving the transition to zero-emissions transportation,” said Nikola President and CEO Steve Girsky. “Their commitment to sustainability aligns perfectly with our mission, and we are honored to provide the HYLA hydrogen as well as the hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks that power this shared goal.”

    Nikola, which started as a combination battery-electric and fuel cell truck manufacturer, has shifted its focus more on the hydrogen side. It has rallied from near bankruptcy and financial scandal to make numerous trucking supply deals with customers including J.B. Hunt, Voltera, BayoTech and Port Houston.

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    About the Author

    Rod Walton, EnergyTech Managing Editor | Senior Editor

    For EnergyTech editorial inquiries, please contact Managing Editor Rod Walton at [email protected].

    Rod Walton has spent 15 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. He formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    Walton earned his Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. His career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

    He was named Managing Editor for Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech starting July 1, 2023

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.

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