European Hydrogen Association » 2009

Italian government funds new hydrogen and fuel cell projects

January 21, 2009

The Italian Ministry of Industry presented the 30 winning proposals on Energy Efficiency , among which three on hydrogen and fuel cells, that will be financed and approved by the National Industrial Innovation programme Industria 2015. In total 86 proposals were received. The 30 approved projects, totalling more than € 500 mln investments of which almost 40% state funding, will involve 234 companies and 160 research institutes and or universities. Just before the end of the last year a call for proposals was published by the Ministry of Environment of €10 mln that includes funding for the storage of hydrogen produced by renewable energy.

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EU Parliament votes for more stringent emission targets in 2050.

January 21, 2009

In a own intiative report on the EU’s Second Strategic Energy Review that was proposed by the European Commission in November 2008 and includes Energy policy priorities up to 2050 as security of supply, energy efficiency and renewable energy, the European Parliament Industry Committee voted to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%, improve energy efficiency by 35% and bring the share of renewable energies to 60% of the EU’s total energy consumption by 2050. The first Strategic Energy Review, published in 2007 as part of a wider communication on energy and climate, provided the framework for the development of the EU’s ’20-20-20′ policy: 20% less CO2 and 20% more renewable energy by 2020. Targets that were confirmed by all EU Memebr States in March 2007 and translated into the ‘package’ of energy and climate proposals presented by the EU executive on 23 January 2008. The Second Strategic Energy Review includes proposals for tax breaks and procurement support of hydrogen vehicles.

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EU Consultation on Sustainable Energy Networks

January 21, 2009

Last november The Commission has issued a Green Paper “Towards a secure, sustainable and competitive European energy network” and opened a consultation to gather input for its further actions. The consultation is open till March 31, 2009. The Commission invites views on what the EU should do to stimulate the necessary investments and help advance projects which can help Europe secure reliable, affordable and sustainable energy supplies for the future. It also specifically seeks suggestions on how to revise the Trans European Networks for Energy programme to make it more effective. The Commission recently announced increased funding under its economic recovery plan for reinforcing its energy networks (see above).

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EHA sends request to EU Commission for particpation in ETS benchmarking

January 21, 2009

After the vote on the Emission Trading System ETS, last December the EU Commission is now embarking on a tedious task to adopt Community wide and fully-harmonised implementing measures for allocating the allowances referred to in paragraphs 4, 7 and 12 including any necessary provisions for a harmonised application of paragraph 18. According to art 10a of the directive “those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Directive by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 23(3).” The measures referred to in the first subparagraph shall, to the extent feasible, determine Community-wide ex ante benchmarks so as to ensure that allocation takes place in a manner that gives incentives for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficient techniques, by taking account of the most efficient techniques, substitutes, alternative production processes, high efficiency cogeneration, efficient energy recovery of waste gases, use of biomass and capture and storage of carbon dioxide, where such facilities are available, and shall not give incentives to increase emissions. No free allocation shall be made in respect of any electricity production, except for cases falling within Article 10c and electricity produced from waste gases. The [...]

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Become a member!

January 13, 2009

Becoming a member of the EHA means joining a group of active and dedicated industries and national associations working togetheer to promote the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier in Europe. Sign up now to receive a monthly report including the latest EU policy and national and local level developments. The application form you find above. Do not hesitate to contact Tanya Carre for more information tel. +32 2 7632561 and email info@h2euro.org.

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French government seeks to lower legal barriers of clean technologies

January 7, 2009

The French Environment minister Jean-Louis Borloo presented a proposal with 104 concrete measures providing a legal toolbox as a result of a nation wide survey the “Grennelle de l’environnement” held in in 2007: the proposed measures focus mainly on legal changes to facilitate the uptake of clean technologies: – energy efficiency of buildings standards (2012) and overall urban planning; – sustainable means of transport; – renewable energy planning: facilitate microcogeneration installations; – protect biodiversity by establishing “ecological continuity” of territories; – improve environmental health; – governance of big private and public entities to report their emissions.

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EU Commission launches report on Regional 2020 challenges

January 6, 2009

EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, presented the findings of a new report on the future challenges facing regions in Europe. The Regions 2020 provides input into the ongoing debate on the future of EU cohesion policy which was launched by the publication of the Fourth Cohesion Report in May 2007. This review takes place in the context of the ongoing debate on the EU budget review, which DG Regional Policy, as one of the EU’s largest spending departments, has been actively trying to influence. The report provides the European Commission’s first analysis of the regional impacts of four key challenges facing Europe, namely adapting to globalisation; demographic change; climate change; and the energy challenge – with a 2020 perspective. Using a series of indicators, the report maps out a ‘vulnerability index’ for European regions to each of these challenges, and examines the potential differences in impacts across the EU. Regions are defined at a relatively broad scale (the so-called NUTS 2 level, which generally corresponds to state or provincial administrative units) and encompass both urban and rural areas.

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Taking the North Rhine Westphalia HyWay.

January 6, 2009

The „NRW Hydrogen HyWay” was inaugurated by Dr. Jens Baganz, secretary of State for the economy of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, last November during the 8th annual meeting of the competence network Fuel Cell and Hydrogen NRW of the state agency EnergieAgentur.NRW. This new lead project in the framework of the climate protection strategy of the state government comprises numerous individual projects for development and demonstration of the fuel cell and hydrogen technology. More than 50 M€ will be provided during the years to come from state funds and the European fund for regional development. One of the projects includes partners from North Rhine-Westphalia and The Netherlands to develop of a city bus with fuel cell propulsion. The 18 m long buses will operate in Amsterdam and the Cologne region after a development time of about one year. Two vehicles each will be provided for both sites. Partners from North Rhine-Westphalia are Vossloh Kiepe GmbH from Duesseldorf and Hoppecke Batterien GmbH & Co. KG from Brilon. They are supported scientifically by FH Cologne and RWTH Aachen. The North Rhine Westphalia region is part of HyER (formerly HyRaMP), Hydrogen Fuel Cells and Electromobility in European Regions.

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