Startup plans hydrogen station for Upstate

SCBIZ Daily
Staff
July 17, 2009

Hyperion Partners LLC is considering a location on the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research Campus to construct a hydrogen fueling station.

Initially, the station will dispense hydrogen, compressed natural gas and propane as a demonstration project to support research into alternative fuels at the research campus. Eventually, the station could fuel fleets belonging to the city of Greenville and Greenville County, as well as sell fuel for local, commercial use.

“Hyperion’s proposal to establish an alternative fueling station on the CU-ICAR campus is an excellent example of economic development through the knowledge economy. The project fits in with at least two of the emphasis areas of Clemson University (Automotive and Transportation Technology and sustainable Environment) and there is a very good reason to believe that future research will emerge from Clemson personnel in this area,” said Joseph W. Kolis, executive director of the Clemson University Research Foundation.

Hyperion, a startup recently introduced by SC Launch in Charleston, was formed to plan, coordinate and manage public and private renewable and alternative energy projects and ventures in the Upstate.

Led by principals Edward C. Marshall, Brad Van Meter, Gary F. Caldwell and Richard E. Parvey, Hyperion will also be part of a new collaboration between CU-ICAR, Greenville County, the city of Greenville and SCRA. Working together as the Clemson/Greenville Alternative Energy and Renewables Collaborative, the group will expand research, funding, educational and future knowledge-based economic development opportunities in South Carolina.

According to SCRA, research is planned for a residential and commercial community that may be located directly across Interstate 85 from CU-ICAR. Hydrogen and other alternative energy sources will serve as a research component for several of the developments planned within what it calls one of the largest planned urban infill residential and commercial developments in the Southeast. Stationary fuel cell power generation could serve as stand-by, back-up or planned auxiliary supplement within the construction of the residential and commercial community.

An existing hydrogen fueling station in Columbia with partners including Engenuity SC and the Columbia Fuel Cell Collaborative was built earlier this year. Looking forward, SCRA said there is interest in establishing a similar collaborative based in the Lowcountry.

“SCRA is pleased to invest in this and other initiatives that fulfill our legislative mandates through the Innovation Centers and Industry Partnership Acts. We are extremely proud to partner with CURF, CU-ICAR, the City of Greenville and Greenville County as well as Hyperion to further grow an alternative and renewable energy economy in South Carolina,” said Bill Mahoney, SCRA CEO. “Over the last four years, sustainability and renewable energy has become a renewing vertical market for SCRA. Not only in energy but also in other aspects in sustainable value chains such as materials, processes and legacy data. Our work in sustainable markets including our DOE and DoD awards to put fuel cells in Fort Jackson, our award to administer the national H-prize and our Next Generation Manufacturing Technologies initiative on behalf of the Defense Logistics Agency are paving the way for future knowledge-based work in sustainability throughout South Carolina and our nation.”

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