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“This is a very complicated project,” AVRC Executive Director Richard Dell said Thursday. There isn't any visible signs of progress, although the previous owners have cleared lumber belonging to them, but Dell and Northampton County Economic Development Director Gary Brown have been working non-stop to secure the proper permitting and funding sources, as well as promote interest from the automotive industry.
The AVRC will be a non-profit, independent testing facility, designed to provide a number of resources at a reasonable cost to users in the general automotive, motorsports and alternative fuel development sectors.
The center will be built on a 630-acre parcel of land next to Lowe's Distribution Center in Garysburg. The Northampton County Board of Commissioners recently agreed to purchase the site for $1.6 million, borrowed from Southern Bank, for its part in supporting the center, which is estimated to bring at least 2,000 new jobs to the area.
The AVRC also received $7.5 million from the state of North Carolina, $1.5 million from the federal government and another $1 million from the Golden Leaf Foundation. In addition, Dell said in a summary report Lotus Engineering has pledged $3 million in engineering services over a three-year period to assist in the design of the center's “rise and handling” and other test tracks.
Dell confirmed Thursday that besides Lotus Engineering, 12 to 15 other companies have expressed interest in partnering with the AVRC. These include aggregate construction materials giant Martin Marietta, STP and Northeastern North Carolina NASCAR.
Asked when the construction would start, Dell said “that's a Gary function,” but added he believed the first phase has been put out for bids.
While Brown has been working on the construction progress, permitting and other ground level issues, including relationships with local and state governments, Dell concentrates on business development and marketing as well as relations with the federal government.
Dell said the $1.5 million in federal funding initiated by Congressman G.K. Butterfield has been approved and will be administered through the U.S. Department of Energy's FreedomCar program. The money will go toward the creation of an experimental vehicle that will possess both a traditional fuel and hydrogen tank. Funds will also support a planned hydrogen refueling station.
During a site visit with Butterfield in January, Dell announced the AVRC's plans to place a refueling station along Interstate 95, which could link up with the Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Highway in Virginia.
He has confirmed those plans are still intact and a number of other Southern states will be coming on board. The station should be up and running by the end of the year. “We'll have the capability to fuel five cars a day,” he said, adding that the AVRC will be generating hydrogen on site through a combination of grid electricity and solar power.
Dell said the hydrogen refueling station will be designed by N.C. State University and several other engineering partners and the AVRC will have “plenty of people” capable of operating the system. He expects to start the hiring process mid-year.
The AVRC's focus on researching hydrogen and other alternative fuels comes at a time when high-ranking U.S. officials are starting to push the process.
In his State of the Union speech in January, President George W. Bush accused the American people of being “addicted to oil” and announced increased funding for alternative fuel research.
Just days before the speech, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman had announced a $119 million in research grants to help develop hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Dell said he has already submitted requests regarding grant information to the Department of Energy, and noted he talks with department representatives on a daily basis. “The DOE is very, very interested in working with us on this and future projects,” he said. “This is an area that is not going to go away. We're going to have to spend the next decade improving automotive testing and alternative fuels. Clearly our project is in the right place at the right time.”
He said even though construction has not started, research is already under way and the AVRC is “really in an excellent position to help the DOE and help the President's drive.”
The only thing that would be accomplished by drilling in the Alaskan preserves would be to dig the country “deeper into the hole (of dependency on oil ),” Dell said.
To eliminate a dependency on oil, a hydrogen program must be started. The next step would be to experiment with other alternatives fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel fuels made from soy and other vegetable wasters. “All those things will have to be done in order to meet the (country's fuel needs).”
Dell also announced during Butterfield's visit that the AVRC planned to partner with various institutions of higher education.
NCSU Partnership
Next week, the AVRC and N.C. State University are sponsoring a joint symposium on advanced vehicle research.
The two-day conference, to be held at the Convocation Center at NCSU's Centennial Campus, will feature Cindy Williams, director of technology at General Motors, as well as other industry experts.
On Monday, Dr. John Gilligan, a professor of nuclear engineering and vice chancellor for research and graduate studies at State, and Dell will present opening remarks during a reception and dinner.
A workshop the following day will include a summary of the research capabilities of NCSU in the area of automotive research and transportation technologies, technological and managerial issues in the industry and a summary and discussion of current and future resources to the industry research and development community in North Carolina.
Regarding the University's partnership with the AVRC, Gilligan said he and his students will help identify new research and development areas that are cutting edge and make sure that industry is aware of the resources. “We'll basically help (the AVRC) attract industry into the state,” he said.
An on-site training program for his students at the AVRC is a possibility in the future, he added.
Asked if he believes there's a market for the testing and other services the AVRC plans to provide, Gilligan said, “I keep asking Dick Dell that same question.” He added that he does think there's enough interest to warrant an initial investment and to look at it more seriously.
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