The Hawaii fuel cell developer Hoku Scientific Inc., ready to manufacture components for hydrogen fuel cells, has outgrown its offices in Kalihi and is preparing to move to the Waianae Coast.

Hoku revealed late Tuesday that it is seeking a zoning variance for the former Tycom facility in Maili. Tycom, a subsidiary of Tyco, planned a trans-Pacific fiber-optic cable network that would have made landfall in Maili, but international fiber-optic construction industry collapsed in 2001 due to overcapacity.

A 38,000 square foot building on 2.5 acres has "state-of-the-art infrastructure" and an open floor plan for easy retrofitting, said Hoku operations manager Michael Burke, himself a Waianae native.

"To move toward commercialization and pilot production, we need a larger facility than what we have in Kalihi, and since I'm from Waianae, I wanted to make sure that we didn¹t overlook that region of Oahu during our search," Burke said. "We found the perfect facility, and I am thrilled that we can bring a high tech business to the Waianae Coast to help boost its economy."

The company hosted a barbecue over the weekend to introduce itself to the Maili community and plans another on August 14.

Burke said the company is going through the EPA and Department of Health approval processes now, but anticipates no problems because, in his words, "There is no negative environmental impact."

Hoku Scientific employs 20 people but plans to expand to 30 by year's end. "As we grow, we plan to hire residents from the Waianae area for various positions," said CEO Dustin Shindo. Shindo, a Hilo native, founded a microbrewery on the Big Island before cofounding Hokuo with the company's chief technology officer Kaleo Taft.

Hydrogen fuel cells burn small amounts of hydrogen to produce energy with two byproducts, heat and water. Nothing else is emitted. Automobile manufacturers and other companies with large investments in older technology say hydrogen fuel cells are not cost-effective, but Shindo says Hoku's proprietary proton exchange membrane and electrode assembly eliminate 90 percent of the cost of producing fuel cells. Hoku is backed by Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc., Lava Ventures, Advantage Capital Partners, and Garage Technology Ventures.