Toyota Material Handling Report: The Future of Energy Storage in the UK Supply Chain Sector
Key Ideas
- High-capacity batteries are crucial for energy storage in the UK's future infrastructure, potentially powering entire industrial sites or urban areas.
- Solid-state batteries are seen as a promising advancement, although their high cost and production difficulty may delay common use.
- Growing interest in alternative fuels like hydrogen technology and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) for larger materials handling fleets.
- The transition to sustainable energy sources poses challenges including grid capacity and renewable electricity availability, impacting industry advancements.
Toyota Material Handling (UK) released the Trends in Logistics 2024 report, highlighting the shift towards electrification in road transportation and materials handling. The report emphasizes the crucial role of high-capacity batteries in the UK's energy landscape, capable of storing energy for industrial sites and urban regions. Toyota's product development manager, Gary Ison, underscores the necessity for advanced batteries to support electric vehicles and store renewable energy from sources like solar and wind. The report discusses the rapid advancements in battery technology, including the potential of solid-state batteries with materials like silicone, graphene, and sodium. While these batteries offer long-term benefits, their high cost and complexity may delay widespread adoption. Furthermore, the report reflects a growing interest in alternative fuels, such as hydrogen technology and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), particularly for larger materials handling fleets. Toyota acknowledges the efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells for forklifts, enabling quick refueling and emission-free operations. However, challenges related to grid capacity and renewable energy availability are hindering some companies from investing in new technologies, potentially jeopardizing the UK's net-zero ambitions.