Doosan Bobcat Introduces First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Forklift, Taking the First Step Toward Commercialization in Korea

Doosan Bobcat has taken a first step towards pioneering the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell forklifts in Korea.

On January 31, Doosan Bobcat announced the roll-out of its inaugural hydrogen forklift at a ceremony held at its Incheon forklift factory on the 30th. The event was attended by Hyungwon Park, President of Doosan Bobcat Korea and Regional Head of Asia, Latin America, and Oceania, alongside other company executives; Changheum Lee, Deputy Minister of Climate Change and Carbon Neutral Policy Office at the Ministry of Environment of ROK; Heesu Kim, Director of the Korea Construction Equipment Technology Institute (KOCETI); and Youngbum Kum, Executive Director at Hyundai Mobis, which collaborated on this development of the first  hydrogen fuel cell forklift unit to be commercialized.

This hydrogen fuel cell forklift from Doosan Bobcat is a 3-ton model equipped with a 20-kW fuel cell and is set for delivery to the Korea Zinc’s Onsan refinery in Ulsan, Korea. While prototypes of hydrogen fuel cell forklifts have been previously introduced in the industry, Doosan Bobcat marks the first to complete development and have a commercially viable product ready for shipment.

“As Korea’s first manufacturer to produce forklifts in 1968, Doosan Bobcat is proud to continue paving the way for the country by commercializing hydrogen fuel cell forklifts,” stated Hyungwon Park, president of Doosan Bobcat Korea. He added, “We are committed to actively participating in the expansion of hydrogen mobility, as it’s a pivotal future energy source in the low-carbon era.”

Currently engaged in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s pilot project “to develop demonstration-based reliability verification technology for hydrogen fuel cell forklift commercialization,” Doosan Bobcat is also exploring opportunities for hydrogen fuel cell forklift expansion with various companies and local governments. The company has set a target to supply 30 hydrogen forklifts in 2024, following the certification of a 3-ton model with a 10-kW fuel cell later this year.

Furthermore, plans are underway to diversify the hydrogen forklift range with 2- and 5-ton models while efforts are being made to broaden the company’s portfolio of hydrogen-based products, including hydrogen skid-steer loaders, currently under development with Doosan Corporation.

▲Park Hyung-won, president of Doosan Bobcat Korea (seventh from left), and Lee Chang-hum, Deputy Minister of Climate Change and Carbon Neutral Policy Office at the Ministry of Environment of ROK (sixth from left), celebrate the delivery of the first hydrogen forklift at Doosan Bobcat’s Incheon forklift factory on Jan. 30. (Kim Hee-soo, fourth from left, Director of the Korea Construction Equipment Technology Institute (KOCETI), and Geum Young-beom, eighth from left, Executive Director at Hyundai Mobis)

▲Doosan Bobcat’s 3-ton 20 kW hydrogen fuel cell forklift