- Employees helped students from the Troy P-TECH Program learn more about fuel cell technology through interactive stations and facility tour
LATHAM, N.Y. — Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG), a leading provider of energy solutions that change the way the world moves, recently welcomed students from the Troy Riverfront Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) Summer Bridge Program.
This program is one of only a select few programs of its kind in the state, putting high school students on a direct career path to the region’s most in-demand fields including technology, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing. Plug Power was honored to be able to support this important local program by creating a special day for two groups of students.
“I was really impressed by the natural leadership shown by the students during their visit. At their age it’s not always about asking the right questions, but rather asking all the questions. The students more than excelled in this and engaged in discussions around global warming, the changes we need to make, and how hydrogen is an alternative source that can power devices needed by people all over the world,” said Manikandan Ramani, Plug Power’s Director of Chemical Engineering. “Education is a seek mission that is never ending, and myself and the engineering team were thrilled to be a small part of the educational journey for these students.”
For the student visits, Mr. Ramani and his team set up three stations that allowed the groups to get an up close and interactive look at the process of assembling a hydrogen fuel cell stack.
- The first station explained the process of gasketing. Here, the students used a robot to apply on the gaskets and then later checked the quality of the sealing.
- The second station allowed the students to assemble bipolar plates and Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEAs) into modules, and then check them for leaks.
- The final station focused on testing. Here, the students tested the assembled fuel cell stack and incubated them to full performance, then verified that they met customer requirements.
“We thank Plug Power for welcoming our students to their facility and for engaging them in conversation about careers in the industry,” said Nancy Smith, P-TECH Math Teacher. “We are honored to work with organizations like Plug Power that actively engage our students and provide insight about technical jobs as well as the professional skills needed to be successful in these industries.”
In addition to the stations, representatives from Plug Power provided the students with an overview of the industry in the boardroom, followed by a full tour of the Latham facility, giving students the opportunity to ask numerous members of the engineering team their questions, and see various jobs throughout the company first hand.
“Throughout the years, Plug Power has partnered with a number of universities to further the education of college students and industry research. I’m thrilled that we’re now able to share our team’s passion for the science and technology fields with a younger set of students, as they begin to explore what their future passions will be,” said Plug Power CEO Andy Marsh. “The whole team at Plug Power looks forward to many more educational initiatives with our local community and beyond.”
About Plug Power Inc.
The architect of modern hydrogen and fuel cell technology, Plug Power is the innovator that has taken hydrogen and fuel cell technology from concept to commercialization. Plug Power has revolutionized the material handling industry with its full-service GenKey solution, which is designed to increase productivity, lower operating costs and reduce carbon footprints in a reliable, cost-effective way. The Company’s GenKey solution couples together all the necessary elements to power, fuel and serve a customer. With proven hydrogen and fuel cell products, Plug Power replaces lead acid batteries to power electric industrial vehicles, such as the lift trucks customers use in their distribution centers. Extending its reach into the on-road electric vehicle market, Plug Power’s ProGen platform of modular fuel cell engines empowers OEMs and system integrators to rapidly adopt hydrogen fuel cell technology. ProGen engines are proven today, with thousands in service, supporting some of the most rugged operations in the world. Plug Power is the partner that customers trust to take their businesses into the future. www.plugpower.com.
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