Coupang Fulfillment Service signs deal with SK Plug Hyverse, Kendall Square Asset Management for green logistics centers

A hydrogen fuel cell-powered forklift that will be used at Coupang's fulfillment center in Mokcheon, South Chungcheong. [COUPANG]

Coupang Fulfillment Service signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SK Plug Hyverse and Kendall Square Asset Management on Thursday to make its logistics centers green.

Following the MOU, Coupang Fulfillment Services, which is behind deliveries for Coupang products, will use forklifts powered by hydrogen fuel cells at its fulfillment center in Mokcheon, South Chungcheong, starting next year.

The center has been using electric forklifts and Coupang says the Mokcheon fulfillment center will be the first logistics center to use hydrogen-powered vehicles.

SK Plug Hyverse will provide the forklifts and install hydrogen fuel cell charging stations near the fulfillment center. The company is a joint venture, with SK E&S owning 51 percent of the company and Plug Power, a New York-based hydrogen fuel cell developer, owning 49 percent.

Kendall Square Asset Management will provide space to install the hydrogen charging stations and focus on getting administrative approvals to build such facilities.

The three companies said they will continue to work with each other so more logistics centers can use hydrogen-powered forklifts in the future.

“It will be the first time that a company tests the efficiency and safeness of hydrogen forklifts and whether they are actually environmentally more beneficial,” said a spokesperson for Coupang Fulfillment Service. “We aim to become the leading logistics company by using hydrogen fork lifts, which are more sturdier and can charge quicker than existing electric forklifts.”

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]