COURANT COMMUNITY BLOG
By Community Contributor
The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) is hosting two international events this month focused on the advancement of refueling equipment for hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles.
Work groups from the International Standards Organization and International Technical Committee on Hydrogen Technologies are meeting through Sept. 25 to make recommendations on hoses and general requirements for hydrogen refueling. Outcomes from the two working groups will be used to set minimum design characteristics for safety and performance of public and private hydrogen refueling stations. The work is internationally based with representatives from North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Members of the US team include scientists from the US National Laboratories and private sector businesses.
“Connecticut is becoming the hub of clean energy initiatives. This is a critical time given our growing need for clean energy - especially in the face of recent weather events in the southeast United States,” said Joel Rinebold, chairman of Connecticut Hydrogen-Fuel Cell Coalition and director of Energy at CCAT. “The deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technology will reduce the state’s dependency on oil, improve air and water quality, meet carbon and zero emission vehicle (ZEV) requirements, use renewable energy from indigenous sources and increase the number of energy sector jobs within the state.”
Connecticut’s hydrogen and fuel cell supply chain had a significant bearing on the local and regional economy contributing over $726 million in revenue and investment to the regional economy of $1.4 billion; more than 3,406 direct, indirect and induced jobs to the regional employment base of 6,558; and $340 million in labor income to the regional income level of approximately $620 million.
The hydrogen fuel cell industry, in which Connecticut is a leading player, is expected to grow rapidly. Global Market Insights projects sales of $25.5 billion by 2024 with double-digit annual growth in virtually all markets.
“Hydrogen and fuel cell technology provides an opportunity for the United States to more fully develop its renewable energy industry using hydrogen and fuel cell technology for transportation, energy storage, and use at consumer sites,” Rinebold said. “Such use continues to make the US a showcase for renewable energy while reducing air emissions as new jobs are created and energy reliability is increased.”