The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Tuesday announced 11 project contracts to develop and demonstrate new fuel uses for hydrogen. The $2.88 million in NYSERDA funding will generate nearly double that amount in investment and raise the potential for new jobs in areas all across upstate New York.

The top projects involve product development, ranging from a $1.29 million project to develop hydrogen-powered forklifts for safe, efficient indoor operation, to be built by the Raymond Corporation, Greene, (Chenango County), to a $800,175 project with H2Pump, a Capital District-based start-up company with plans to develop a novel 3-in-1 hydrogen pump to separate, pump and compress hydrogen through an electrochemical process. This would avoid all the traditional, high energy-consumptive methods of gas separation, and mechanical pumping and compression.

A $790,751 project with a General Motors, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Rochester and Cornell University consortium will work to develop and integrate novel materials for use as hydrogen fuel cell components. A $635,350 project with the Toro Company, Niagara Falls, will demonstrate the use of a hydrogen fuel cell-hybrid electric turf maintenance fleet.

Also awarded funding are projects for statewide educational components to develop safety and regulatory guidance for local governments and educators, as well as demonstration projects to further the hydrogen market potential across the State.