Performance boosting feature wins another Archie for Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks at this year’s Awards for Excellence When the Awards jury met to select the winners for this year’s Archies – the UKMHA’s Awards for Excellence – one particular feature intrigued them. It was AutoBoost on the Mitsubishi EDiA XL 4-5
Equinor, together with eleven other companies and organisations, has submitted a joint proposal to create a low carbon cluster in the Humber, the UK’s largest and most carbon-intensive industrial region. The application by the Zero Carbon Humber (ZCH) Partnership is a first step to creating the world’s first net zero
Over three quarters of company’s UK sales of RAC and PAC technologies in February 2019 were for R32 systems, reflecting a market shift towards the lower GWP product Mitsubishi Electric has said that UK demand for RAC and PAC systems has dramatically shifted within the last two years away from
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Performance boosting feature wins another Archie for Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks at this year’s Awards for Excellence When the Awards jury met to select the winners for this year’s Archies – the UKMHA’s Awards for Excellence – one particular feature intrigued them. It was AutoBoost on the Mitsubishi EDiA XL 4-5 tonne electric counterbalance truck. So, what is it and what does it do? It’s one of a clutch of patent-pending design innovations that singled out the electric EDiA XL from its rivals and helped it scoop a deserved Archie. Put simply, AutoBoost senses when truck speed on an incline drops by more than 1.5km/hr. Then it automatically and seamlessly delivers the additional torque and acceleration to maintain normal progress. There’s no pause and no loss of momentum. In doing so, AutoBoost eliminates a common failing among competitor electric trucks: power drop-off on ramps and long inclines. It also overcomes one of the reasons why some sectors have been reluctant to make the switch from diesel. “In every demo, it is AutoBoost that seals the deal,” explains Ben Haseley, Managing Director of RDD, the sole UK distributor for Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks. “As soon as it comes to a ramp, rivals start to slow right down but the EDiA XL just powers up. It’s been a key factor in the decision-making process across a broad sweep of industries previously committed to diesel including transport, logistics, drinks, timber, brick and block. “Customers who are looking for the ultimate performance also love the fact that AutoBoost can be programmed to instantly deliver maximum acceleration from the moment the accelerator pedal is depressed.” Game-changing traction and greater storage density But that’s not the only reason the 4-5 tonne Mitsubishi EDiA XL stormed its way to an Archie. It’s just one in a series of features that make this truck the smoothest, strongest and quietest electric on the market. Developed for genuine indoor-outdoor performance in every conceivable application the EDiA XL features four-wheel steering along with another unique innovation: an electric differential lock. Together they deliver sure-footed traction and control, even in the most hostile environments. At the rear of the truck the wheels turn through a massive 100-degree lock to help deliver the smallest turning circle on the market – typically 500mm less than diesel models – to generate greater storage density. The most energy-efficient electric counterbalance in its 4-5 tonne class, EDiA XL works exceptionally long shifts. Available with a choice of battery types, when specified with lithium-ion batteries, it will work multi-shift operations, making it a genuine rival to diesel in terms on non-stop availability. Equipped with state-of-the art software to match performance characteristics to the operating conditions as well the individual operator, EDiA XL has been designed to inspire confidence, optimise safety and maximise throughput. “Every now and then a product comes along that stands head and shoulders above the rest,” says Ben Haseley. “That supremacy may only last a few years, but during that time, it’s the benchmark against which all others are judged. The Mitsubishi EDiA XL is that truck.” In selecting the EDiA XL as winner of the Environmental Product Award 2022, the jury was impressed by new technologies developed by Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks that allow an electric truck to offer a green alternative to IC engine trucks in more demanding environments than ever before. For further information about EDiA XL, or to find out more about any product in the award-winning Mitsubishi Forklift Trucks range, visit www.mitforklift.com or call the Mitsubishi Greenline on 0845 3713048
Equinor, together with eleven other companies and organisations, has submitted a joint proposal to create a low carbon cluster in the Humber, the UK’s largest and most carbon-intensive industrial region. The application by the Zero Carbon Humber (ZCH) Partnership is a first step to creating the world’s first net zero industrial cluster by 2040 and will support clean growth in the north-east of England. The bid, announced recently, for Phase Two funding from the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, builds on a successful application for Phase One funding which was announced in April. The ZCH Partnership includes Equinor, Associated British Ports, British Steel, Centrica Storage Ltd, Drax Group, Mitsubishi, National Grid Ventures, px Group, SSE Thermal, Saltend Cogeneration Company Limited, Uniper, and the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Centre (AMRC). “We are proud to be a leader of Zero Carbon Humber, partnering with a broad group of forward-looking companies. This proposal can bring tremendous benefits to the Humber region, protecting industries, creating jobs, promoting economic growth and reducing emissions. Our bid demonstrates the kind of ambitious action that is needed to for the UK to achieve its net zero carbon target by 2050,” says Al Cook, Equinor executive vice president and UK country manager. The bid centres around two elements, the first being the Equinor-led H2H Saltend (Hydrogen to Humber Saltend) hydrogen project at Saltend Chemicals Park near the city of Hull. H2H Saltend will be largest plant of its kind in the world to convert natural gas to hydrogen, combining a 600 megawatt autothermal reformer with carbon capture. From first production H2H Saltend will reduce industrial emissions by nearly 900,000 tonnes per year. The second element is the hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline network developed by National Grid Ventures that aims to link H2H Saltend to other industrial sites in the Humber region, enabling them in turn to fuel switch to hydrogen or capture their emissions. These sites include Drax Power station, SSE Thermal’s Keadby site, Uniper’s Killingholme site and British Steel at Scunthorpe. “We believe in the necessity of hydrogen and carbon capture to clean up heavy industry which is required to reach net zero targets. The technologies are proven and it’s now a question of putting them together. We and our partners have made great progress in our plans to decarbonise the Humber, through working with and learning from each other and also in engaging with national and local stakeholders. We are convinced that by continuing to work together we can make this happen,” says Grete Tveit, Equinor senior vice president for low carbon solutions. CO2 emissions from H2H Saltend and the other Humber sites will be transported by pipeline to Easington on the Yorkshire coast and then offshore to permanent storage under the Southern North Sea on the UK continental shelf. A consortium of world-class energy companies including Equinor is working to develop the offshore transport and storage infrastructure, and this network will be shared with the Teesside industrial cluster, where Equinor is also a partner in the Net Zero Teesside decarbonisation project. The total size of the ZCH proposal is GBP 75 million, comprising private and public funding. The funds will be used to progress work towards a final investment decision during 2023 with H2H Saltend and the associated infrastructure potentially coming online in 2026.
Over three quarters of company’s UK sales of RAC and PAC technologies in February 2019 were for R32 systems, reflecting a market shift towards the lower GWP product Mitsubishi Electric has said that UK demand for RAC and PAC systems has dramatically shifted within the last two years away from use of R410A towards lower GWP R32 refrigerant. The manufacturer has said that 80 per cent of sales in these segments last month was for technology designed for R32, a product that has a lower level of flammability. During the same time last year, R32 represented 30 per cent of its RAC and PAC sales, according to Mark Grayston, product marketing manager with Mitsubishi Electric Living Environmental Systems UK. Ongoing quota restrictions on the amount of CO2 equivalent that manufacturers such as Mitsubishi Electric are able to import to the UK under EU F-Gas regulation has been a key driver in pushing the market towards lower GWP products. This has proven to be the case even with the low levels of flammability and the subsequent handling challenges that these newer refrigerant products pose that is not present in higher GWP gas. Mr Grayston said that Mitsubishi Electric’s main focus for R32 products at present was the company’s HVRF technology, where it was in the process of expanding the capacity of outdoor units to between 22kW and 56kW. He added, “We have already moved the majority of our split systems (between 1.5kW and 14kW) to R32, with further R32 releases to come in 2019.” Mr Graytson said that changes introduced in the 6th edition of IEC regulation 60335-2-40 would widening the usage envelope for low flammability refrigerant such as R32. However, he argued that the EN378 safety and environmental standard has not been amended to pick up these changes, meaning some of the challenges to expanding use of the lower flammability refrigerant remained in place. Mr Graytson said, “With good design and following the manufacturers and regulation guidelines high capacity R32 systems can be designed and installed in most commercial applications. Currently R32 HVRF allows for higher capacity systems to be installed because water is run to each fan coil and therefore we don’t need to deal with refrigerant into the occupied spaces.” “As consultants and air conditioning installers gain more experience of A2L refrigerants the wider the scope will be for bigger high capacity systems to be released into the UK and European markets.”
