European Hydrogen Association » 2009

Introduction

August in Brussels saw tropical temperatures as if it was heating up for a new EU Parliament legislative term and the appointment of new Commissioners. Important dossiers for our sector will be the new Clean Transport Communication of last June, new EU Energy Efficiency Action Plan that will come out this November, new CO2 labelling for cars and CO2 emissions for vans and minibuses, plus the role out of the Economic Recovery Package with large funding for efficiency and sustainabel urban development.. The EHA office is also collaborating with the JTI Programme office to attract speakers for the Annual JTI Stakeholders Assembly on October 26-27, 2009. On the second day a session has been added on “Building an energy system on complementarities: Identifying synergies between European Technology Platforms”. This is a topic that the EHA has been promoting in view of the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan: a hearing that we organized in collaboration with the commisison in 2007 and our last brochure promoted the synergies between rnenewabel energy and hydrogen. Recently smart grid developments and its strong links with electric transport, supported by the EU Green Car Initiative are pointing to the need to explain the role of hydrogen as the other clean energy carrier next to electricity. The EHA is collaborating with the German Hydrogen anf Fuel Cell Association to prepare a strategy paper on this topic.

EHA in Action

EHA presenting at Scotland’s Hydrogen Future Conference, September 15-16, 2009

The EHA will present local hydrogen developments at the Scotland’s Hydrogen Future Conference in Edinburgh on September 15-16, 2009. The Scotland’s Hydrogen Future Conference will explore a range of topics highlighting the complex issues of utilising hydrogen as an energy carrier. It can be stored for applications in vehicles, homes, and businesses, thereby making off-grid applications economically viable. Presenters will address methods of generating hydrogen, materials for hydrogen storage, infrastructure development and hydrogen utilisation technologies, particularly fuel cell systems.
With Scotland’s abundance of renewable energy potential, particularly in offshore wind, tidal and marine current applications, a renewable energy-based hydrogen economy is not only technically feasible but makes environmental, economic, and social sense. Featuring the First Hydrogen Corridor in the UK, The Royal Mail Group and members of the Scottish Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Association have joined forces to create the tipping point whereby hydrogen becomes the energy carrier of choice for transport and stationary applications. With this conference, we will profile the steps being taken by the Royal Mail and its partners in creating the conditions for large-scale hydrogen usage in its transport fleet in Scotland – the most ambitious hydrogen transport programme in the world. For more information on Scottish Hydrogen Developments, please visit the Scottish H2 and FC Association website.

EHA contributes to prestigious Edgar Elgar publication

The EHA in collaboration with the Italian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association, H2IT contributed a chapter to a new prestigious Edgar Elgar publication “Innovation, Markets and Sustainable Energy, the challenges of hydrogen and fuel cells “. The book, edited by Stefano Pogutz of Bocconi University in Milan, presents an in-depth study of the hydrogen and fuel cell industry and markets. It examines the value chain structure and the strategies of relevant industry players, the alliances and inter-organizational learning processes, the development of new markets, and venture capital dynamics. It also provides an overview of the policies that support hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in major countries around the world. Adopting a cross-sectional and international perspective, the book analyzes the implications of introducing fuel cells into the industrial system and explores the complexity of market development for new technological solutions. The book can be ordered here.

EHA develops contact list of key MEPs per EHA country

Following the first session of the newly-elected European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg on July 14-16 2009, the different Committees have been constituted. For easy reference the EHA has listed key MEPs per EU Member State to facilitate direct lobbying of EHA national association members and EHA industry members. The list includes members of the EP Committees Transport and Tourism (TRAN), Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), Regional Development (REGI), Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), and Internal Market committees (IMCO) including their presidents and vice presidents. The database is available for EHA members under “Databases” in the Intranet. Please note that it is a temporary version as some contact details and MEP assistants have not been published yet. The database will be updated regularly and we invite members to communicate their experiences with different MEP’s to make our lobbying efforts more effective.

EU Policy News

$2.4 Billion Grant in support of U.S. Batteries and Electric Vehicles

On 5^th August 2009, President Obama announced 48 new advanced battery and electric drive projects that will receive $2.4 billion in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These projects, selected through a highly competitive process by the Department of Energy, will accelerate the development of U.S. manufacturing capacity for batteries and electric drive components as well as the deployment of electric drive vehicles.

“If we want to reduce our dependence on oil, put Americans back to work and reassert our manufacturing sector as one of the greatest in the world, we must produce the advanced, efficient vehicles of the future,” said President Obama.

The new awards cover the following areas:

-$1.5 billion in grants to United States-based manufacturers to produce batteries and their components and to expand battery recycling capacity

-$500 million in grants to United States-based manufacturers to produce electric drive components for vehicles, including electric motors, power electronics, and other drive train components

-$400 million in grants to purchase thousands of plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles for test demonstrations in several dozen locations; to deploy them and evaluate their performance; to install electric charging infrastructure; and to provide education and workforce training to support the transition to advanced electric transportation systems.

“These are incredibly effective investments that will come back to us many times over—by creating jobs, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, cleaning up the air we breathe, and combating climate change,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “They will help achieve the president’s goal of putting one million plug-in hybrid vehicles on the road by 2015. And, most importantly, they will launch an advanced battery industry in America and make our auto industry cleaner and more competitive.”

The announcement marks the single largest investment in advanced battery technology for hybrid and electric-drive vehicles ever made. Industry officials expect that this $2.4 billion investment, coupled with another $2.4 billion in cost share from the award winners, will result directly in the creation tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. battery and auto industries. The EU on July 31 launched the first call of the € 4,5 bln Green Car Initiative that is also funding electric drive technologies.

Events

FP7 Energy Research Information Day, September 14 2009 , Brussels,

In order to support the preparation of proposals for the new Calls for Proposals on energy under the FP7, the European Commission’s Directorates-General for Energy and Transport and for Research are organising an Information Day on 14 September 2009 in the Charlemagne building, rue de la Loi n° 170, in Brussels.

The aim of this event is to inform multipliers and potential applicants about the content and main legal as well as procedural conditions of the above-mentioned calls.

For more information and for registration please visit the event’s website.

ICHS3 Conference, 16-18 September 2009, Ajaccio

The 3rd International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (ICHS3) is jointly organised by IA HySafe and IEA HIA who mandated the CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission) for organizing the 3rd edition in Ajaccio, France, with the assistance of Université de Corse and Università di Pisa. The conference will be held in Ajaccio, Corsica on September 16-18, 2009, and is being organized in collaboration with the principal EU and international projects on hydrogen safety. The ICHS will focus on the improvement, knowledge, and understanding of hydrogen safety to foster removal of safety-related barriers to implementation of hydrogen as an energy carrier. The conference will improve public awareness and trust in hydrogen technologies by communicating a better understanding of both the risks associated with hydrogen and their management. Since the ICHS will focus on safety issues and measures to encourage more extensive use of hydrogen-based technologies, its contents will be different from other hydrogen conferences. All contributions to be included in the ICHS will be evaluated exclusively in the light of their scientific content and relevance to hydrogen safety. For more info please visit http://conference.ing.unipi.it/ichs2009

The fuel cell | 9th Forum for Producers and Users, 28-29 September 2009, Stuttgart

With more than 650 attendees from all over the world, f-cell is one of the largest events in the fuel cell and hydrogen sector in Europe. International renowned speakers will be presenting the state of the art. Current developments and applications in the mobile, stationary and portable deployment of the fuel cell and hydrogen technology will be discussed in a number of sessions. The symposium doesn’t only stand out through its diversified topics but also its practical approach. For nine years experts and managers from business have been using f-cell as an information and communication platform. For more info please click here

Hydrogen Hits the Roads

London to Launch UK’s First ‘Hydrogen Highway

Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, wants to contribute to the creation of the Britain’s first “hydrogen highway”, by a scheme promoting zero-emission cars modelled on one introduced in California.

The mayor of London wants to make Britain a leader in fuel cell technology and is planning a network of hydrogen filling stations in the capital. He intends to assemble a pilot fleet of about 150 hydrogen cars in the run-up to the 2012 London Olympics, together with five buses and 20 taxis.

Johnson said the hydrogen network would be developed alongside government plans to introduce electric cars. Johnson’s officials believe that by 2029 as many as one in three of the 31m cars in Britain could be fuelled by hydrogen. Britain has agreed to cut its CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050.

“Harnessing low-carbon technology is key to solving the pressing issues of energy security, cutting climate change emissions and improving air quality,” said Johnson. “With electric vehicles gearing up to become a mainstream choice in a few years’ time, we are creating the right conditions for them to flourish.”

In April, Prime Minister, Gordon Brown had announced plans to subsidize electric-car use. Johnson followed up by unveiling a scheme for 25,000 “juice points” — charging stops for electric cars across London.

“We think it’s going to be pretty big,” said Kit Malthouse, deputy London mayor, who added: “We plan an initial network of six or so hydrogen fuelling stations around the capital. We would then be able to fuel the next generation of vehicles.”

More information here

Toyota reiterates its commitment to Fuel Cell Vehicles

During his first North American speech as the new President of Toyota, Akio Toyoda reiterated that fuel cell vehicles will be commercialised by 2015. “Later this year, we will launch a plug-in hybrid for fleet customers, followed by a pure electric vehicle in 2012,” Toyoda President said at a Center for Automotive Research conference in Traverse City, Mich. “We’re also making great progress on hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and hope to make this technology available and affordable for customers within the next half-dozen years,” he added. This announcement coincides with the results of a recent collaborative fuel cell hybrid vehicle range and fuel economy field evaluation of the Toyota Highlander Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle – Advanced (FCHV-adv) launched in mid-2008 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Savannah River National Laboratory (SNRL) the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Toyota. The Toyota Highlander Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle – Advanced (FCHV-adv) recently achieved an estimated range of 431 miles on a single full tank of compressed hydrogen gas, and an average fuel economy of 68.3 miles/kg during a day-long trip down the southern California coast. The route encompassed a variety of drive cycles, including high speed highway driving, moderate highway driving and [...]

First Hydrogen Power Plant Launched in Italy

Italian power company Enel on August 14, 2009 announced that it started operating a 12 MW hydrogen-powered electricity plant in Fusina in Venice’s industrial zone of Porto Marghera. The combined cycle plant is the first of its kind in the world to operate on such a scale. Powered by hydrogen by-products from local petrochemical industries such as the ENI Group’s Polimeri Europa factory, it can meet the needs of 20,000 families, while saving emissions equivalent to more than 17,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, according to the company. The power station is part of the Hydrogen Park project, which was launched by the Venice region and Italy’s environment minister finaced by € 4 mln (5.6 million dollars) with the aim to promote the development and implementation of hydrogen technologies in transportation and electricity generation in the Porto Marghera area. More information here

National News

Hychain project delivers 13 FCV’s to Spanish municpality

The Hychain-Minitrans project, coordinated by Air Liquide, develops fleets of small hydrogen-powered urban vehicles. This project will make it possible for users in four European Union countries – France, Italy, Spain and Germany – to test these vehicles in a real-life situation. In Spain, 13 vehicles powered by a hydrogen fuel cell were delivered to the city of Soria (Castille and León), one of the project’s partners. There are four tricycles, four wheelchairs, four lightweight utility vehicles and one minibus. Four hydrogen-powered scooters will join this fleet of clean and quiet vehicles in the very near future.These vehicles are powered by a brand-new infrastructure: pressurized exchangeable hydrogen cylinders that are ergonomic and easy to handle in complete safety, developed by Air Liquide. In Spain, these cylinders are filled on the Air Liquide de Torrelavega site (Cantabria). Made available to the city’s municipal services, these vehicles are now going to be tested and the feedback acquired will make it possible to collect a large number of technical data. Their analysis will permit these vehicles’ functioning to be improved as well as the logistics and distribution of hydrogen. It will facilitate their future use by the largest number of people. Form more information please visit the Hychain project website.

EHA Newsletter August 2009