Nissan plant using methanol to power parts movers

Executives at the plant near Nashville and the CEO of the methanol fuel cell provider, Oorja (Or-jah) Protonics of Fremont, Calif., said Nissan is the first automaker to make a commercial switch to the power cells that convert chemical energy in methanol into electrical energy without any combustion.

Nissan material handling manager Mark Sorgi (Sor-jee) said using the new OorjaPac system that will be powering 60 of the 4,400-pound "tugs" by October 1 will eliminate more than 70 electric battery chargers using almost 540,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. The net savings: $225,000 a year.