News Releases for October 2005
October 31, 2005
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Hoeven Hosts Defense Department Officials Exploring Eerc Hydrogen Technology Project
EERC Recommended For $2.5 Million Centers Of Excellence Award
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Gov. John Hoeven today hosted a delegation from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) who are interested in military applications for several innovative alternative and renewable fuel technologies being developed at the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC). Of particular interest to the Pentagon are the EERC’s various hydrogen technologies.
Joining Hoeven for a tour of the facility and discussions were Dr. Theodore Barna, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense; Dr. William Harrison III, Senior Advisor of the department’s Clean Fuels Initiative in the Office of the Secretary of Defense; and EERC Director Dr. Gerald Groenewold.
“The EERC’s focus on the practical and commercial application of hydrogen technology to fuel vehicles is a perfect match for the military, and a perfect match for our Centers of Excellence Program,” Hoeven said. “The center’s partnership with ePower Synergies, Inc. makes this a well rounded venture, linking the state, the university system and the private sector to create new jobs and new opportunities for North Dakotans.”
The North Dakota Centers of Excellence Commission, the selection body for the Governor’s Centers of Excellence program, recently recommended that the EERC be awarded $2.5 million toward the building of a new $3 million facility for its National Center for Hydrogen Technology (NCHT). The city of Grand Forks has also awarded the EERC $500,000 to provide a total of $3 million. An $8 million to $14 million match for the Centers of Excellence grant will be used for research activities at the new center. The 15,000-square-foot NCHT facility is expected to create 100 new high-paying technical jobs and attract $50 million in research contracts in the short term. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2006.
The EERC was designated the National Center for Hydrogen Technology by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in November 2004 in recognition of over 50 years of hydrogen research involving fossil fuels and renewable energy. The EERC currently has more than $8 million in funding for hydrogen research, which includes $2.9 million from DOE, and is leveraged by numerous corporate partners.
A major focus of the EERC’s program is evaluating military applications of the EERC’s hydrogen on-demand fueling system for producing hydrogen from JP-8 diesel fuel, which is used in all military vehicles. In addition to the development of this innovative hydrogen production technology, a fuel cell-powered forklift truck will be demonstrated at the Grand Forks Air Force Base and compared to a conventional propane-powered unit. The hydrogen technology could potentially be applied to thousands of DoD vehicles in the future. Project partners include DoD (U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force) and ePower Synergies, Inc., Cordova, Illinois.
“This is a unique example of an economic development partnership between the federal government, the state, private industry, and higher education, which leads to the creation of high-quality jobs and spin-off companies and draws on the world-class activities and talent at the EERC,” said Groenewold.
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