SC Launch! Funds Hydrogen Fuel Cell Fork Lift Demonstration Project; Hydrogenics and LiftOne to Deploy Program in SC Beginning in June 2007
DATELINE: COLUMBIA, S.C. May 4
COLUMBIA, S.C., May 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SC Launch!, an SCRA collaboration, presented $14,000 each to four South Carolina companies today. These contributions represent a portion of a total award of $84,000, which will underwrite all hydrogen fueling and infrastructure costs for six South Carolina companies to participate in a demonstration project for the Greater Columbia Fuel Cell Challenge. The announcement was made during a luncheon at the FuelCellSouth Conference at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
The demonstration project comprises deployment and operation of two fuel cell-powered fork lifts at host companies' warehouse facilities throughout South Carolina. The project integrates Hygrogenics' proprietary fuel cell power packs into lift trucks supplied by LiftOne, a division of Carolina Tractor.
The project hopes to "seed" a new product line, providing an economically viable alternative to traditional, battery-powered trucks. Fuel cell-powered trucks provide long-term value for fleets where trucks are required to operate full-time in an air quality-sensitive environment.
This South Carolina partnership represents a first-of-a-kind, national effort in the material handling equipment industry. The initial partnering companies that will serve as host sites and utilize the fuel cell lift trucks in the daily operations of their South Carolina warehouses are: ISOLA Laminates in Ridgeway, Leigh Fibers in Spartanburg, Michelin North America in Columbia and PBR Columbia in West Columbia.
"This project demonstrates how successful collaborations within South Carolina continue to grow our state's knowledge economy," said Bill Mahoney, SCRA CEO. "This partnership among the Greater Columbia Fuel Cell Challenge, Hydrogenics and LiftOne brings even greater economic possibilities to the Midlands and to the state through greater awareness of the benefits of alternative energy."
"The level of interest this project has generated with our customers has been nothing short of amazing! The enthusiasm and the high degree of knowledgeable inquires we have received have kept us hopping," said Bill Ryan, VP and General Manager of LiftOne and Engineered Solutions.
"This initiative provides key target customers a great opportunity to experience first-hand what a fuel cell solution can do for lift trucks in their facilities," said Daryl Wilson, Hydrogenics President and Chief Executive Officer. "We're so pleased to be working with people with this type of enthusiasm to make hydrogen and fuel cells happen in a viable commercial way, having the potential to bring real benefits to their region."
The FuelCellSouth conference agenda today included panel discussion of the benefits of fuel cell technology in transportation and mobility applications.
The demonstration project is expected to begin in June and proceed sequentially from customer to customer for 18 - 24 weeks. Operators and supervisors at each site will be trained, then operate the two lift trucks in their usual, multi-shift operations for a two-week period. Valuable performance and economic data about conventionally-powered fork lifts versus fuel-cell powered fork lifts will be the primary output from this project.
The fork lift demonstration is one of ten projects that has been announced and awarded by the Greater Columbia Fuel Cell Challenge since it was launched in March, 2006. SC Launch! has provided a total of $200,000 to fund hardware and infrastructure costs associated with six of these projects.
About SC Launch!
SC Launch!, an SCRA collaboration, assists entrepreneurial start-up companies with up-front counseling, seed-funding, and access to a powerful resource network. The SC Launch! mission is to help generate knowledge economy jobs in South Carolina, enhance the state's quality of life and provide opportunity for all South Carolinians in the new economy. For more information please visit http://www.sclaunch.org/ .
About SCRA
SCRA is a global leader in applied research and commercialization services with offices in Anderson, Charleston, and Columbia. SCRA collaborates to advance technology with industry, government, and research universities like Clemson University, the University of South Carolina and the Medical University of South Carolina. For more information please visit http://www.scra.org/ .
About Hydrogenics
Hydrogenics Corporation is a globally recognized developer and provider of hydrogen generation and fuel cell products and services, serving the growing industrial and clean energy markets of today and tomorrow. Based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Hydrogenics has operations in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information please visit http://www.hydrogenics.com/ .
About LiftOne
LiftOne, a division of Carolina Tractor, is a full-service material handling dealership, providing equipment solutions to move and store customers' product. LiftOne offers new and used equipment, as well as a large fleet of equipment ready-to-rent. With a service staff of over 130 highly trained technicians, LiftOne services most brands of material handling equipment at customer locations. LiftOne's product brand lineup includes: Cat(R) Lift Trucks, Linde Lift Trucks, Ottawa/Kalmar, Komatsu, LiftKing, and others. For more information please visit http://www.liftone.net/ .
About FuelCellSouth
FuelCellSouth is a not-for-profit industry association whose core mission is to foster awareness and create market opportunities for fuel cells in the southeastern United States. Founded in 2003, FuelCellSouth convenes an annual conference for fuel cell industry companies. It also provides a market education platform and technical support environment for researchers, industry, entrepreneurs and government officials to help them reach the marketplace with their research, technologies, products and services. For more information, please visit http://www.fuelcellsouth.com/ .
About The Greater Columbia Fuel Cell Challenge
The University of South Carolina, the City of Columbia, the South Carolina Research Authority and Engenuity SC have organized the Greater Columbia Fuel Cell Challenge to promote greater collaboration with private sector leaders from all areas of the fuel cell market. The goal of the challenge is to create an unprecedented deployment of fuel cell and alternative energy technologies into multiple city, university and commercial applications throughout the region. For more information please visit http://www.fuelcellchallenge.com/ .
SC Launch! is a trademark(TM) of SC Launch!, Inc. SCRA(R) is a registered trademark(R) of SCRA.
CONTACT: Jill Hirsekorn of SCRA, +1-843-760-3329,
jill.hirsekorn@scra.org
Web site: http://www.scra.org/
http://www.sclaunch.org/
http://www.hydrogenics.com/
http://www.liftone.net/
http://www.fuelcellsouth.com/
SOURCE SC Launch!