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Hydrogen fuel cells: Hydrogen fuel cells:
By Rachel Pleasant
Staff Writer
About 25 attendees at a recent meeting of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce heard one message loud and clear: the future is hydrogen fuel cells, and South Carolina had better be ready to embrace it.
The meeting included a presentation of the South Carolina Next Energy Initiative, a movement made up of businesses, educational institutions and political leaders from around the state with the goal of developing a 20-year plan for hydrogen technology in the state. Hydrogen fuel cells have the potential to reduce pollution and decrease the country’s dependence on foreign fuel.
South Carolina is in a position to take advantage of this emerging technology and “to become to hydrogen what Texas is to petroleum,” says Neil McLean, project manager of Next Energy.
Set for leadership
The state already possesses approximately 80% of the assets needed to become competitive in hydrogen technology, says Thomas Militello, executive director of Fuel Cell South in Columbia, part of the Next Energy coalition.
Among those assets, Militello says, are the Savannah River National Lab in Aiken, which is increasing its focus on hydrogen technology; the University of South Carolina’s National Science Foundation, the first industry-university cooperative research center for fuel cells; and the Clemson International Center for Automotive Research.
Additionally, while the state ranks 29th compared to other states in terms of doctoral scientists and engineers, according to the National Science Foundation, McLean says it ranks 12th in terms of Department of Energy hydrogen projects in 2005.
“We’re strong in research,” McLean says.
Charleston’s assets
What the South Carolina Next Energy Initiative needs to do now, Militello says, is to identify the remaining 20% of assets, thus bolstering the state’s hydrogen potential.
That 20% might be here in Charleston, Militello says.
“There are assets here we have not yet inventoried,” says Militello, whose company aims to create awareness of the fuel cell industry.
“One example is the port and the trucking industry here.”
Another example is input from Lowcountry businesses, Militello says. Both he and McLean encouraged the meeting’s attendees, who represented a variety of industries, including construction and agriculture, to show support for the initiative by leaving business cards and attending future initiative meetings.
The South Carolina Next Energy Initiative plans to unveil its 20-year plan in October.
The plan will call for an innovation pipeline, an alignment of the state’s universities and technical schools, statewide collaboration between businesses and a process for branding South Carolina as a hydrogen hub.
During the question-and-answer session at the end of the presentation, the audience didn’t hold back.
One question raised involved the idea of building fuel cells at the Savannah River facility, which also disposes of nuclear waste.
Charlie Thompson, who attended the meeting and is a talk show host on WTMA 1250 AM. questioned why the Lowcountry seems to play only a supporting role in the initiative.
McLean could not respond because he isn’t a scientist, he says.
McLean says he hopes the initiative will be able to overcome the geographic divisiveness of South Carolina.
“I can’t agree with you more that South Carolina is Balkanized, but this is an opportunity to work together. This started out as a Columbia thing, and it was a great breakthrough to have Clemson and Aiken come on board,” he says.
As for how realistic it is to think hydrogen technology will be commonly used in coming years, Militello likens hydrogen to computers, which at one time people thought would never be used as commonly as they are today.
“As the price of oil climbs, we’re sensitized to other forms of long-term energy independence,” he says.
“A lot of folks believe it’s 50 years away, but it could be at our doorstep.”
For more information, visit nextenergy.engenuity.sc.com.
Rachel Pleasant is a staff writer for the Business Journal. E-mail her rpleasant@charlestonbusiness.com.
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