In recognition of World Hydrogen Day on Oct. 8, Georgia Tech convened more than 75 leaders from industry, government, academia, and research organizations for the inaugural Georgia Tech Hydrogen Day. The two-day event focused on advancing the commercial deployment of hydrogen technologies across Georgia and the Southeast.

Hosted by the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), the event brought together stakeholders from across the hydrogen value chain to address opportunities and challenges related to infrastructure, market development, technology deployment, and regional collaboration.

The program began Oct. 7 with a networking reception and hydrogen research poster session, sponsored by the Southeast Hydrogen Energy Alliance (SHEA). Researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, and students gathered for collaboration and discussion. 

On Oct. 8, Yuanzhi Tang, SEI’s executive director and Georgia Power Professor, delivered opening remarks, followed by Tricia Chastain, executive vice president for administration and finance and chief business officer at Georgia Tech, who offered an institutional perspective.

“Georgia Tech is uniquely positioned to help advance hydrogen because we bring together expertise across engineering, transportation, manufacturing, policy, economics, and sustainability,” Chastain said. “Our strength lies not only in those disciplines, but in our ability to connect them, collaborate with partners, and move innovations from research into real-world applications.”

Frank Wolak, president and CEO of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association, delivered a keynote address on the state of hydrogen in the United States. He discussed national trends, policy developments, and market opportunities that could influence hydrogen adoption and create opportunities for the Southeast.

“Convening this forum on World Hydrogen Day highlights both the growing global momentum behind hydrogen technologies and the Southeast’s unique opportunity to help shape their development, deployment, and long-term impact,” Wolak said.

A leadership panel brought together Quinta Warren, airport senior director of sustainability at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; Dan Raudebaugh, executive director of the Center for Transportation and the Environment; Erin Lane, vice president of public affairs at Plug Power; Costas Simoglou, director of Energy Technology at the Georgia Center of Innovation; and John Knox Porter Jr., CEO of Capital Development Partners.

Panelists discussed hydrogen's potential to strengthen industrial competitiveness and energy security, support transportation decarbonization, and contribute to regional economic growth.

“One of the most important questions facing the hydrogen sector is how we work together to address the challenges ahead,” said Tang. “At Georgia Tech and the Strategic Energy Institute, our role is to bring the ecosystem together. We not only advance research and innovation, but also connect people, technologies, and partnerships that can turn ideas into real-world solutions.” 

Developing a Regional Hydrogen Road Map

The event’s centerpiece was the Southeast Hydrogen Roadmapping Forum, organized and led by Scott McWhorter, director of the National Laboratory Partnership Program and Federal Energy Initiatives at the Strategic Energy Institute. McWhorter also serves as chairman of the SHEA Board of Directors. 

Participants worked through facilitated discussions across three strategic focus areas: 

• Hydrogen freight and multimodal logistics corridors 
• Hydrogen for critical-power resilience and long-duration energy storage 
• Clean hydrogen and hydrogen-derived molecules for industry, fertilizer, and fuels 

The discussions identified technology gaps, infrastructure priorities, workforce needs, demonstration opportunities, and pathways for future investment.

"The goal of this forum was to move beyond discussion and identify tangible opportunities for collaboration,” said McWhorter. “By bringing together leaders from transportation, energy, industry, economic development, and research, we are able to develop a road map that highlights priority projects, infrastructure needs, and next steps for growing a hydrogen economy that serves the Southeast."

The road-mapping sessions concluded with a cross-track synthesis focused on identifying priority projects and defining next steps toward a coordinated regional hydrogen strategy.

Showcasing Georgia Tech Hydrogen Research

Attendees also connected with Georgia Tech researchers through a hydrogen research showcase organized by Comas Haynes, Georgia Tech's hydrogen initiative lead and a principal research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. The showcase included guided tours of the North Avenue Research Area and the Ben T. Zinn Combustion Laboratory. Participants got an up-close look at hydrogen research underway across the Institute.

The tour highlighted Georgia Tech's growing hydrogen research portfolio and the Institute's capacity to support industry, federal agencies, and regional partners working to advance next-generation energy technologies.

“By convening the forum on World Hydrogen Day, Georgia Tech underscored both the global momentum behind hydrogen technologies and the region's opportunity to shape their future deployment,” said Haynes.

The event’s outcomes will inform a regional hydrogen road map and white paper intended to support future collaboration, investment, and deployment efforts across the Southeast.

“This is only the beginning,” said McWhorter. “The road map will help guide the partnerships and projects needed to advance hydrogen infrastructure and strengthen the region's energy future.”