Fuel cells feed future growth
By John Temple Ligon
Temple@TheColumbiaStar.com

Sam Logan

In 2003, the National Science foundation recognized USC's research in future energy needs by awarding the school its designation as the nation's only Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Fuel Cells.

The University of South Carolina Center for Fuel Cells is working to bring about job growth and economic development for the state as it raises per capita income.

Private sector wages in S.C. average $31,307, but the average technology wage is $52,272. More technology jobs follow more technology patents.

On a percentage basis, S.C.'s growth in new patents compares favorably with the rest of the region. S.C.'s new patent count for 2006 was 667, a 24% gain over 2004's 538. Florida, the South's volume leader, had 3,186 patents last year, and the gain over 2004's 2,710 new patents was 18%.

The job growth and economic development are coming about through research in five areas: (1)fuel cell design; (2) fuel cell performance; (3) hydrogen storage materials, devices, and distribution systems; (4) catalysts and materials for hydrogen production and electrodes; (5) motor design and power conditioning. A practical application already in place is a fuel cell providing part of the power for USC's West Quad, the nation's largest LEED- certified "green dorm."

FuelCellSouth's 4th Annual Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technology Conference and Expo was held at the convention center last week, May 2- 4. The conference theme was "Collaboration, Consensus and Commitment - the Catalysts for Realizing the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Economy."

A large part of the conference was a delegation from Korea, including members of the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER). Another part of the conference was a traveling exhibit called The Hydrogen Education Tour.

Wednesday, May 2, was Hydrogen Day at the conference, and tours of the education exhibit were free.

On Thursday, May 3, Mr. Tom Militello of FuelCellSouth, Dr. Woo- Kum Lee of USC's department of chemical engineering, and Dr. Heon Jung of KIER, availed themselves for a morning press conference at the convention center.

Jung reported his KIER delegates were pleased and impressed with their first visit to Columbia. Soon, there could be a Samsung investigation into a potential presence in S.C. Also in the Korea/S.C. connections, both Kia and Hyundia are participating in the U.S. Department of Energy's Freedom Car Program, which should spur interest in what USC is doing with fuel cell technology for automobiles.

Dr. Kenneth L. Reifsnider, a USC endowed- chair professor, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and the director of the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Program gave a presentation. He formerly filled the Pratt & Whitney endowed chair at the University of Connecticut.

Sam Logan of LOGANEnergy, founded in 1994, spoke to the lunch crowd May 3. LOGANEnergy is the only company in the world dedicated exclusively to providing fuel cell services to energy consumers in the U.S. and overseas, as their handout put it.

Following Logan at lunch was Dr. Leo Blomen, chairman and CEO of HydroGen, which was founded in 2001 and began trading shares (stock symbol: HYDG) on the Nasdaq capital market March 6, 2007.

HydroGen designs and manufactures multi- megawatt fuel cell systems using its proprietary 400- kilowatt phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) technology. HydroGen's core business is a 2MW, zero emission power generation product that supports the growth of industrial distributed energy.

Spending on research and development at HydroGen for fiscal year 2006 amounted to $4.1 million, increasing more than 250% over fiscal year 2005. Its share price in the first week of May was hovering around $4.35, while its 52- week range was between $3.00 and $18.75.

Blomen noted the growth in demand for electricity between 1990 and 2000, 28%. Meanwhile, the growth in global warming awareness parallels the growth in calls for pollution- free energy well removed from the Middle East. HydroGen specializes in emission- free power generation while it reduces costs and gains in simplicity. Call your broker.