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Tilbury puts first fuel cell reachstacker into service

[ September 18, 2026   //   Chris Lewis ]

The Port of Tilbury has taken delivery of the first hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) powered container handler in the UK to be deployed and fully operational in a real-world port application. The Hyster ReachStacker is powered by a Nuvera 60kW fuel cell engine that converts hydrogen into electricity to support a 130kWh lithium-ion battery. It incorporates standardized software used in other Hyster electric products.

It is expected to help Tilbury demonstrate a lower CO2 emissions footprint by more than 107,000 kilograms or 79,600 pounds of CO2 per year. The

Port of Tilbury is part of the Forth Ports Group, which is working toward achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2042.

High-pressure tanks will store 32kg of hydrogen on board, enough for a full 12-hour shift. It can be refuelled in under 30 minutes and will operate entirely on green hydrogen, produced with an electrolyzer from GeoPura.

Tags: Port of Tilbury; Forth Ports