Sandy Springs Corp to Manage Defense Project for Backup Emergency Electricity

Logan Energy will develop and manage the $6.6 million project for the Department of Defense and Department of Energy.

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers has contracted Sandy Springs-based Logan Energy to develop and manage fuel cell projects that will test an emergency backup electricity system.

Nineteen backup power systems will be deployed at nine different military installations. The $6.6 million project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Defense.

The experimental program will test how the fuel cells perform in real world operations, identify any technical improvements manufacturers could make to enhance performance, and highlight the benefits of fuel cells for emergency backup power applications, according to a statement by Energy Secretary Steven Chu. The ultimate goal is to hasten the day the systems are available for widespread use.

"Based on our decade's long experience with government fuel cell programs, we believe this one will not only stimulate [broad] markets but also private sector markets toward broader adoption of fuel cell products and applications," said Keith Spitznagel, Logan Energy's SVP of Marketing, in a press statement.

Logan Energy is a private fuel cell services company that specializes in carrying out such projects. The company will oversee four manufacturers - ReliOn, Inc. of Spokane, Washington; Altergy Systems of Folsom, California; Idatech, LLC of Bend, Oregon; and Hydrogenics Corporation of Ontario, Canada.

"Projects like these fuel cell systems will help reduce fossil fuel use and improve energy reliability at military installations across the country,” added Chu, in his press statement.

Fort Bragg, N.C. is one of eight military installations where the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Defense will test an emergency backup electricity system.

Known as fuel cells, the system is design to deliver cleaner, more reliable energy than traditional systems.

The fuel cells could have benefits in combat, too.

“America's military pays a high price in terms of added costs, risk of life, and lost operational flexibility to deliver fuel supplies and power to combat forces,” said a spokesperson in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. “Reducing or replacing fossil fuels with clean energy technologies like fuel cells can help address these vulnerabilities and improve energy security at military facilities across the U.S. and ultimately across the globe.”

The spokesperson asked that her name not be used in this report.

Compared with diesel generators, which are often used for backup power, fuel cells use no petroleum, are quieter and produce fewer pollutants and emissions. Fuel cells also typically require less maintenance than either generators or batteries, and can easily be monitored remotely to reduce maintenance time. Their cost has been an issue, but tests like the one at Fort Bragg are designed to bring down costs.

The other military installations that will receive the fuel cell backup power units are:

• Fort Hood, Texas
• The U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York
• Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland
• Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey
• Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Base, Colorado
• U.S. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center 29 Palms, California
• The Ohio National Guard, Columbus, Ohio