Image Source: Forth Ports
There is something new moving containers at the Port of Tilbury. A hydrogen fuel cell-powered reach stacker has begun working in the port’s container operations, making it the first machine of its kind to operate in a live UK port environment. With Beckchoice’s office based in Tilbury, this is a development particularly close to home.
Reach stackers do the heavy lifting at container terminals, picking up and moving containers throughout the working day. The new Hyster machine is part of a trial to find out whether hydrogen technology can meet those demands while reducing emissions from port equipment.
It uses a fuel cell to turn hydrogen into electricity, supported by a lithium-ion battery. According to Hyster, it is designed to work across a 12-hour shift and can be refuelled in less than 30 minutes. The hydrogen will be produced on site using equipment supplied by GeoPura.
Hyster estimates the machine could avoid more than 107 tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year compared with the assumed diesel use of a conventional reach stacker. That is a projected saving from operating the equipment, rather than a result already measured at Tilbury.
The real test starts now: how will it perform during busy shifts at a working container terminal? For a freight forwarder based just down the road, it will be especially interesting to see what Tilbury learns and whether this technology becomes a more familiar sight at UK ports.
Moving goods through Tilbury? Get in touch with Beckchoice to discuss your shipping and customs clearance requirements.
Source: Forth Ports announcement, 17 September 2026.