Hampton Roads Alliance, along with Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach cities, and in partnership with Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, is launching a $6.5 million green Hydrogen Fuel Program. Aimed at bolstering the local industry, the program encompasses three to five transition projects, a demonstration and education site, and a workforce training program. Positioned within the Tech Center Research Park near Jefferson Lab in Newport News, the initiative is projected to create 230 high-paying jobs. By harnessing the potential of hydrogen energy production, the program intends to attract larger companies needing clean energy power output to Hampton Roads, thereby promoting economic growth.
Hampton Roads Clean Energy Initiatives
Hampton Roads is already in the process of becoming a hub for the offshore wind industry.
Dominion Energy is in the midst of developing a 176-turbine wind farm off the coast of Virginia Beach. Another energy company is working to receive permits for another offshore wind farm near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Now, one regional economic development agency is working to make Hampton Roads a home for another piece of the clean energy economy puzzle.
Green Hydrogen Fuel Program
The Hampton Roads Alliance and the cities of Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach, in a partnership with Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, are creating a $6.5 million green hydrogen fuel program to help kick-start a local industry. The project includes plans for three to five transition projects, a demonstration and education site, and a workforce training program.
The Potential of Hydrogen Energy
The program, which is projected to create 230 high-paying jobs, will be located in the Tech Center Research Park near Jefferson Lab in Newport News. Hydrogen and its production have the potential to create more jobs and help attract larger companies to Hampton Roads who need that power output from clean energy, proponents say.
Netflix watchers might remember hydrogen as the alternative fuel a tech entrepreneur played by Edward Norton plans on introducing in the film “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.” The fuel, in a fictionalized crystal form, prompts a massive explosion in the movie’s climax.
The reality of hydrogen use is less dramatic, according to the Environmental Defense Fund nonprofit. The fuel, while flammable and explosive, has been used successfully for decades with the right safety measures and equipment by industry.
Impact on Economic Growth
The project ties in nicely with the region’s burgeoning offshore wind industry, said Matt Smith, the alliance’s director of wind and water technology.
“Offshore wind is creating the renewable electricity that’s needed to create green hydrogen,” he said.
The hydrogen project forecasts 230 jobs will be created in the next five years: a mix of direct positions at the education and demonstration center, jobs added by local energy companies as they add hydrogen capabilities to their offerings, and finally, jobs added by supplier project partners moving into the region, Malone said.
Question & Answer
What is the Hampton Roads Alliance launching?
The Hampton Roads Alliance, along with several cities and Virginia Tech, is launching a $6.5 million green Hydrogen Fuel Program.
Where will the green Hydrogen Fuel Program be located?
The program will be positioned within the Tech Center Research Park near Jefferson Lab in Newport News.
How many high-paying jobs is the program projected to create?
The program is projected to create 230 high-paying jobs in the region.
What is the goal of the Hydrogen Fuel Program in Hampton Roads?
The program aims to attract larger companies needing clean energy power output to Hampton Roads, thereby promoting economic growth in the area.
