UD is also a hub of efforts in enabling hydrogen to become a key component of the clean energy transition; Thompson highlighted some of UD’s recent achievements in this area, including establishing the Center for Clean Hydrogen and leading workforce development initiatives as part of the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2).

John L. Anderson, NAE President and a UD chemical engineering alumnus, provided an overview of NAE’s mission, its programs, and how the organization is unique in that it brings together engineers from both academic and government research institutions as well as industry.

President Dennis Assanis welcomed the audience of “movers and shakers of the hydrogen world” for a day of engaging conversations and insightful presentations. “Here at UD, we are inspired by the crucial mission of developing solutions for viable and sustainable energy alternatives that are better for our planet. We believe that UD and its partners have the means to bring innovative ideas to fruition as part of the clean energy revolution,” said Assanis, who is also an NAE member.

Sunita Satyapal, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, delivered the first keynote presentation, providing an overview of the current U.S. energy landscape and the challenges of meeting the nation’s carbon emission goals. “To get to net zero across all sectors, we have to use all the tools in the toolbox,” said Satyapal. “Hydrogen is a key element of a comprehensive portfolio of solutions to help us decarbonize the economy.”

Satyapal highlighted the three pillars that support the nation’s clean hydrogen strategy: Targeting strategic, high-impact end uses, reducing the cost of clean hydrogen, and a focus on regional networks like MACH2. She also emphasized the significance of last month’s DOE announcement of $750 million in funding to support clean hydrogen research; UD will be involved in these efforts through the H2CIRC consortium.

Next up was Kathy Ayers, Vice President of Research and Development at Nel Hydrogen, a company focused on the production, storage and distribution of hydrogen from renewable energy sources. Ayers shared results from Nel’s R&D on enhancing production capacity for proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis, a carbon-free and renewable hydrogen production method.

“Transitioning results from lab to product is complex—the tools, methods and parameters change, and understanding the fundamentals at every step is crucial for success,” she said while discussing the R&D efforts required to scale up processes for industrial applications.

Yushan Yan, Henry Belin DuPont Chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Director of UD’s Center for Clean Hydrogen, chaired the first of two afternoon presentation sessions after video remarks from Senator Tom Carper and in-person remarks by Andy Marsh, President and CEO of Plug Power.

Tim Cortes, CTO of Plug Power, discussed his company’s efforts in deploying clean hydrogen at industrial scale and their approach in building out the infrastructure and systems required to provide end-to-end service for their customers.

Craig Gittleman, a General Motors Technical Fellow and Engineering Group Manager of Fuel Cell Materials and Analysis, discussed hydrogen’s potential in transportation applications, with a focus on GM’s fuel cells to power equipment like medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

David Dankworth, Hydrogen Portfolio Manager at ExxonMobil, shared insights from his company’s strengths in driving large-scale market solutions, with his group focusing on low-carbon hydrogen fuels at scale, including their new Baytown Blue Hydrogen plant (“blue” referring to the use of natural gas in a way that sequesters spent carbon).

Ajay Prasad, Engineering Alumni Distinguished Professor and Co-Director of UD’s Center for Clean Hydrogen, shared results from UD’s fuel cell bus program, a 17-year project whose goal was to research, build, and deploy a fleet of fuel cell-powered buses and hydrogen refueling stations in Delaware; it also supported the establishment of UD’s Center for Fuel Cells and Batteries. Prasad said that their findings show that fuel cells work well for urban transportation applications and provide a way to show the public that hydrogen is clean, safe, and reliable.

Timothy Hopkins, Chemours Discovery Hub and Newark Area Technology Site Leader, chaired the second afternoon session, which kicked off with video remarks by Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester and in-person remarks by Gerardo Familiar, President of Advanced Performance Materials at Chemours. Then, Andrew Park, R&D Senior Principal Engineer also at Chemours, presented results on the usability of Nafion™ membranes for PEM electrolysis.

Barry Sharpe, Vice President of Operations and General Manager of the Bloom Manufacturing Center of Delaware, provided an overview of Bloom Energy’s solid oxide fuel cells that enable on-side energy production, including the ability to produce hydrogen at high efficiencies.

Yan concluded the technical program with a presentation on his journey from laboratory research into large-scale commercialization, with a focus on anion-exchange membranes (AEM) for green hydrogen generation, which Yan has worked on for the past 20 years. Yan also provided more insights into the vision and goals of UD’s Center for Clean Hydrogen, including research efforts that help reduce costs by finding new materials, simpler designs and faster manufacturing methods. He also said that he sees UD and the Center for Clean Hydrogen as a hub for electrochemical engineering education and clean energy start-ups.

“We really have a historic opportunity, perhaps even an unparalleled ecosystem here, especially as a small state,” Yan said about Delaware’s capabilities in R&D, scale-up, and project deployment related to clean hydrogen. “Delaware is already an undisputed capital of ion exchange membranes, and we will soon become a capital of clean hydrogen.”

Meeting attendees, which included NAE members, industry representatives, government officials, academics, and members of the public, finished the day with a reception held at the FinTech Open Forum, with more than 20 research posters presented by UD graduate students.

Symposium sponsors include Chemours, ExxonMobil, NAE and UD.

About NAE

Founded in 1964, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is a private, independent, nonprofit institution whose mission is to provide independent advice on matters involving engineering and technology and promote a vibrant engineering profession and public appreciation of engineering.

NAE has more than 2,000 peer-elected members and international members, senior professionals in business, academia, and government who are among the world’s most accomplished engineers who provide leadership and expertise for projects focused on the relationships between engineering, technology, and quality of life. The NAE is part of The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and operates under the same congressional act of incorporation that established the National Academy of Sciences.

NAE hosts four regional meetings per year, with the goal of raising the visibility of the field of engineering, connecting NAE leadership with its members, and showcasing the engineering achievements of the host institution. 2024 regional meeting host institutions include Purdue University, Texas A&M University, University of California, Davis, and the University of Delaware.