What does a Department of Energy train locomotive, video recorder and fire door have in common for South Carolina and Georgia businesses? Each item and thousands of other surplus DOE-owned items have been donated to area companies and other organizations over the years in a successful effort to create jobs and fuel economic growth.

Just in 2007 alone, equipment and other miscellaneous government-owned items worth millions of dollars were provided free of charge to the SRS Community Reuse Organization who ensured that the assets would be put to good use at organizations located throughout South Carolina and Georgia. The Savannah River Site is already on track to break that record due to the exceptionally large number of items donated during 2008.

“In 1993, then Secretary of Energy Hazel O’Leary, recognized that employee downsizing and evolving missions at SRS, often created a surplus of government-owned property that was no longer needed,” said Dave Hepner, Community Affairs/Small Business Manager, DOE-SR. “We realized that this was an excellent opportunity to help the area diversify their economy, help attract new businesses and expand existing companies in the region, and by extension, the people living in our neighboring states … the same organizations and citizens who have done so much to support our work at SRS over the decades.”

The recent acquisition of a DOE glass melter by AGY of Aiken, SC, represents a good example that illustrates how the process works. This 5,000 pound melter was loaned to Clemson University several years ago as part of a cooperative research effort. After the successful conclusion of the project, Clemson University had requested the removal of the melter. Since there was no apparent need for this process unit at any Federal facility, the WSRC Public Affairs Asset Transition Program stepped in and facilitated the melter’s transfer to the Community Reuse Organization (CRO). The CRO then found a home at AGY for the melter where it will be used in their glass fiber research and development activities. As a result, AGY officials estimate that one or two new positions will be created as a result of this acquisition.

According to a senior AGY scientist Yongguo Wu, who is responsible for the installation of the new melter, this new equipment will help AGY to further expand their business.

“The CRO melter fills the large gap between our small laboratory melter and our huge, full-scale production furnaces,” said Wu. “Trial testing using the new melter will help us to develop new materials, leading to new or improved products.”