A Totally Integrated Fuel Cell Ecosystem

Part of our vision for Columbia is the creation of a completely integrated, self-sustaining Fuel Cell District. Columbia’s Fuel Cell District will encompass less than a 2 mile radius and integrate education and outreach programs, hydrogen production sites, storage and distribution locations including fueling stations, and multiple end-use applications. The concept map below gives some examples of the types of projects we are considering.

(click to enlarge)

Columbia is the ideal city for the first planned end-to-end Fuel Cell District because it has existing research strengths in fuel cells at USC, the focus and collaboration of the region’s political, business and academic leaders and adequate resources to implement the vision. Columbia is in the early stages of a renaissance. The University of South Carolina Future Fuels ™ program will be home to leading edge research and researchers, while helping start-ups transition into commercially viable companies in the fuel cell space. Innovista will connect downtown Columbia to the banks of the Congaree River, where residential and public development has already begun. The long-term journey to establish a new Columbia with a knowledge economy based on fuel cell technology is underway.