More than 150 attendees moved from auditorium talks to the Xit\u00e0 quay, where the headline prototypes \u2013 a hydrogen ReachStacker and a converted 4\u00d74 terminal tractor \u2013 were put on display.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project reaffirms our commitment to decarbonisation,\u201d said Mar Chao, president of the Port Authority of Valencia. \u201cWe envision a port that is a living laboratory where industry and science converge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speakers from the Clean Hydrogen Partnership, Fundaci\u00f3n Valenciaport and the European Commission all pointed to the project as a sign that hydrogen is edging closer to commercial viability. Valerie Bouillon-Delporte of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership said that the initiative \u2018shows ports can become catalysts for clean mobility and new energy value chains\u2019.<\/p>\n
On the quay, workers and visitors assessed the hydrogen fuel-cell ReachStacker developed by Hyster-Yale<\/a> and tested at the MSC terminal. Operators who used it said the machine felt familiar but noticeably quieter. \u201cIt behaves like a diesel but without the noise or fumes,\u201d one dockworker said during the tour.<\/p>\n Nearby, the world\u2019s first hydrogen-powered terminal tractor<\/a>, converted from diesel by an Italian research consortium, drew equal attention. Engineers explained that the toughest challenge was teaching the machine to balance power between its fuel cell and battery. \u201cGetting the energy management right was the key to making it work for a full shift,\u201d one project researcher said.<\/p>\n