General Electric is wrapping up construction on its new center at the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency-operated Saratoga Technology + Energy Park in Malta.
Johanna Wellington, general manager and chief technical officer for GE Fuel Cells, said General Electric is about to launch operations at the pilot facility to develop hybrid fuel cell technology.
Wellington said the fuel cell program that began at GE’s Global Research Center in Niskayuna is expanding.
“We’re building a pilot facility that really has commercial scale manufacturing equipment in it, and we can build our prototypes with [that equipment], which ultimately will allow us to get to full production and to market much quicker,” said Wellington.
Wellington said the team of about 20 workers is made of GE engineers and individuals from local startups.
“The GE engineers are really excited about the opportunity to work in a startup-type environment, and the folks we’ve hired from startups are really excited about being able to work for GE and having that breadth behind them,” said Wellington.
About 10 more workers will likely be added to the fuel cell program in the months ahead, she added.
Fuel cell technology is a means of generating electricity through a chemical reaction between a fuel and an oxidizing agent. Fuel cells can be highly efficient, and can be used to supply power to industrial facilities on-site. Wellington said fuel cells can be applied to generate electricity without requiring long transmission lines, which could be useful in preventing storm damage, or supplying electricity to poor, remote areas.
Dayle Zatlin, a spokeswoman for NYSERDA, said her agency is excited to see GE begin fuel cell research at the Malta site.
“it’s an example of scaling up New York’s clean energy economy, which is a priority for Governor Cuomo. And fuel cells are alternative technology that can be used to take pressure off the electric grid,” said Zatlin.
The Saratoga Technology + Energy Park is adjacent to the Luther Forest Technology Campus, home of chip manufacturer GlobalFoundries.
Catherine Hill, F. William Harder Chair of Management and Business at Skidmore College, is happy to see the arrival of more high-tech industry in Malta, and says the diversification of high-tech jobs isn the Capital Region is important.
“If something happens in one industry the entire community is not going to fail or succeed based on that particular industry,” said Hill. “I also think that when you think about economic development there’s a lot of two-career families now, and when you have different opportunities for different members of a family in the region I think it just makes it more attractive for everybody.”
Hill also recognized the importance of GE investing in a newer technology.
“A big problem for fuel cells is…the supply chain, and getting all of that in place,” said Hill, “and when you have a big player like GE it really changes the dynamics of that problem, and it brings to bear enough interest by a big company that others will follow along suit.”
In Schenectady, GE has continued to invest in its advanced sodium battery plant that opened in 2012. It currently employs more than 400 workers.
