No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeEnvironment & WildlifeClimate ChangeAstronaut Franklin Chang's Ad Astra to develop hydrogen-fueled transportation in Guanacaste

Astronaut Franklin Chang’s Ad Astra to develop hydrogen-fueled transportation in Guanacaste

Ad Astra Rocket, the company of former NASA astronaut Franklin Chang Díaz, signed an agreement Monday with EARTH University to research and develop hydrogen-powered transportation in Costa Rica’s northern province of Guanacaste.

The agreement puts back on track a stalled project of Chang’s designed to help wean Costa Rica’s vehicle fleet off fossil fuels. Carbon-dioxide emissions from cars are responsible for more than half of the clean-energy-touting country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Representatives of Ad Astra and EARTH University signed the agreement at the Ad Astra Rocket offices in the canton of Liberia, during a ceremony attended by President Luis Guillermo Solís, who also signed as a special witness.

Costa Rica’s public-private development bank (SBD) has pledged $432,000 in financial support for the venture. The project’s first step is to determine the feasibility of a hydrogen-powered transportation system for Liberia.

The city’s first hydrogen-powered bus is scheduled to start operating within 15 months. The bus will transport workers between Daniel Oduber International Airport and downtown Liberia.

Results of the project will be used to evaluate Costa Rica’s potential progress toward its goal of achieving carbon neutrality in the next few decades.

During the ceremony, President Solís said that Costa Rica “has no choice but to join global efforts to reverse the trends of climate change and support any initiative seeking solutions.”

Chang said he is very pleased that the government is showing interest in moving forward with the development of new clean energy sources.

“The space shuttle was not built by NASA, it was built by private sector efforts that now are part of Boeing,” Chang said. “The union between the government and the private sector promotes development.

Economy Minister Welmer Ramos, who also chairs the SBD board, said the agreement will bring high-value jobs to Guanacaste as well as business opportunities for local entrepreneurs.

Restarting a stalled project

The agreement will allow Ad Astra Rocket to resume a hydrogen fuel development project that, until a year ago, it was running jointly with the government. In March 2015, Chang announced that the project was on standby because of an apparent lack of interest from the Costa Rican Oil Refinery (RECOPE).

Chang said at the time that RECOPE’s new board of directors — named by the Solís administration — dropped the project without any valid explanation. RECOPE had already invested some $2 million over two years.

Besides the hydrogen fuel project, Chang’s Ad Astra is also currently developing the VASIMR plasma engine, one of the technologies being considered by NASA to propel the first manned mission to Mars.

Trending Now

End of Air Canada Strike Brings Relief for Costa Rica-Bound Passengers

Air Canada flight attendants ended their strike Tuesday after reaching a tentative agreement with the airline, paving the way for flights to resume gradually....

Panama Union Files Lawsuits Against Chiquita Over Mass Layoffs

Panama’s President, José Raúl Mulino, will meet in Brazil with U.S. banana company Chiquita Brands in search of an agreement for the company to...

Major Cocaine Seizure in Costa Rica’s South Highlights Ongoing Cartel Fight

Costa Rican police pulled off a big win against drug traffickers this Sunday, seizing over a ton of cocaine hidden in a tourism minibus...

FBI Recordings Reveal Costa Rica Ex-Minister Celso Gamboa’s Drug Ties

Costa Rican authorities continue to hold former security minister Celso Gamboa in custody as U.S. officials push for his extradition on drug charges. Recent...

Costa Rica President Confronts Calls to Strip Immunity

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves denounced today an “attempted judicial coup” as he appeared before a congressional committee that must recommend to the full...

An Expat’s Life with a Rescue Dog in Costa Rica

For the past 15 months I have been the primary caretaker of a bona fide street dog, a barrio zaguate called Dorothy. My wife...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica