It’s
been another great year for the Energy and Environmental
Research Center, recognized as one of the world’s
leading developers of cleaner, more efficient energy
technologies, as well as environmental technologies
to protect and clean the air, water, and soil.
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| Officials
and the public gathered on Sept. 17, 2004,
to celebrate the completion of an $8 million
expansion and renovation project for the Energy
and Environmental Research Center. Among those
on hand (from left) were Gov. John Hoeven
and the members of North Dakota’s congressional
delegation: Sen. Kent Conrad, Sen. Byron Dorgan,
and Rep. Earl Pomeroy. The centerpiece of
the project was a new $6 million building
adding 47,000 square feet to the EERC’s
facilities. |
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Among
the EERC’s accomplishments:
1. Completion of an $8 million
expansion and
renovation project.
2. Expansion of its client base
to more than
788 clients in all 50 states and 47
countries.
3. Great numbers: A staff now exceeding
270, more than 300 proposals
submitted with a 69 percent
success rate, 372 active contracts
(90 percent of which are nonfederal),
the hosting of 20 conferences,
training courses, and workshops
nationwide; and achievement
of its goal of $27 million in
contract awards.
The Center is playing a crucial role in providing
solutions to the world’s most critical energy
and environmental issues. For example, it is becoming
a national leader in the development, demonstration,
and commercialization of hydrogen production technologies
for fuel cell utilization. It has established the National
Center for Hydrogen Technology and has entered into
numerous partnerships in this area. Examples include
John Deere and Company, to couple Deere’s fuel
cell-powered commercial work vehicle with the EERC’s
on-demand hydrogen production system for military applications,
and Kraus Global of Winnipeg, to commercialize the EERC’s
on-demand hydrogen production system for use in traditional-style
refueling centers for future fuel cell vehicles.
Numerous other activities have become a key focus
for the Center, including commercializing a family of
technologies that will result in a zero-emissions power
plant. Systems utilizing advanced coal conversion technologies,
advanced emission controls, technologies to minimize
the use of water, and the capability to capture and
store carbon dioxide emissions are approaching reality.
It is working with international groups like Siemens
Westinghouse, Babcock and Wilcox, Alstom Air Preheaters,
Marsulex, and many others to bring these technologies
to market.
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| Existing coal-fired
plants, such as the Leland Olds Station near
Stanton, N.D., will need to use new technologies
such as those being developed by the EERC
to meet future regulations related to particulates,
acid gases, mercury, and carbon dioxide. |
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The EERC has also participated in over $15 million worth
of contracts focused on mercury measurement and control,
including full-scale demonstrations in North Dakota
and Texas. The Center is continually sought out as an
unbiased expert on mercury control technologies and
the status of control and measurement options to government
agencies, such as the U.S. Congressional Committee on
Environment and Public Works and U.S. Department of
Energy policy panels.
The Center is making a major impact in solving
critical water management issues in the Red River Basin
as well. Its Waffle project received international attention
at the completion of the first-ever field test near
Shelly, Minn. Test results suggest no significant effects
on water and soil quality and no hindrance to springtime
planting for local farmers. The EERC’s Red River
Water Management Consortium, formed to address water-related
issues in the basin, has made major advances in building
stronger relationships with governmental, nongovernmental,
and commercial entities this fiscal year.
For more information on the EERC, visit its Web
site at: www.eerc.und.nodak.edu/
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