National News

Bulgarian Hydrogen Society (BG H2 Society) has been founded by the Ministry of Defense of Republic of Bulgaria, members of Bulgarian Parliament, University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy (UCTM) and Bulgarian Academy of Science as well as experts from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Technical University of Sofia and University of Mining and Geology “St. Ivan Rilski”. BG H2 Society throughout the Hydrogen Technology Centre (UCTM) introduced the master course “Hydrogen Technology” and has been working in all of the major sections of the National programme for scientific research “Hydrogen Technologies – Hydrogen Economy”: fuel cells, materials for hydrogen power industry, modern methods for hydrogen production, storage and transport. A National Fund “Hydrogen and the Global Warming” was established within BG H2 Society in 2009, intended to accumulate funds from different sources, including the Bulgarian State Budget, in order to support projects within the National programme for scientific research “Hydrogen Technologies – Hydrogen Economy”. BG H2 Society has also proposed an  initiative to build the first hydrogen gas station in Sofia and is looking for the proper EU funding. The project includes independent solar power production and electrochemical hydrogen generation as well as the possibility for external tank-car refilling. For [...]

The first month of the second decade of EHA’s operations in promoting hydrogen as an energy carrier in Europe, was dedicated to the hearings of relevant  new Commisoners designate and trying the find out what their responsibilites could mean for hydrogen and fuel cell development. In addition the EHA office chased Spanish colleagues to find out more about the scope of the proposed EU Electric Car Plan. Together with the JTI Industry Grouping NEW IG, HyER (formerly HyRaMP) and Fuel Cell Europe we have sent a joint letter to the Member State representative offices in Brussels to ask attention for the role hydrogen and fuel cell cars as part of and electric transport system. We now have information that a majority of the Member States indicated that would like to see a focus on more technolgies that just batteries in the Action Plan mentioning also fuel cells. The new Industry Commissioner Tajani also indicated his interest to focus more on green automotive technologies mentioning specifcally the need of active and coordinated involvement of Member States and Regions. As the Bulgarian Hydrogen Association requested membership last week (see under National News),  the EHA,  now with 16 national member associations and hosting [...]

Honda on January 27, 2010 began operations of a next generation solar hydrogen station prototype at the Los Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas, Inc., intended for ultimate use as a home refueling appliance capable of an overnight refill of fuel cell electric vehicles. Designed as a single, integrated unit to fit in the user’s garage, Honda’s next generation Solar Hydrogen Station reduces the size of the system, while producing enough hydrogen (0.5kg) via an 8-hour overnight fill for daily commuting (10,000 miles per year) for a fuel cell electric vehicle.

The previous solar hydrogen station system required both an electrolyzer and a separate compressor unit to create high pressure hydrogen. The compressor was the largest and most expensive component and reduced system efficiency. By creating a new high differential pressure electrolyzer, Honda engineers were able to eliminate the compressor entirely – a world’s first for a home use system.

Climate change Commissioner-designate, Connie Hedegaard, said she sees herself as a horizontal coordinator, with the task of mainstreaming climate action into all EU policies, during her three-hour hearing in the European Parliament on Friday (15 January).”It is not going to be easy to reconstruct [the climate directorate-general],” Hedegaard admitted. “Climate can be almost anything,” she said, giving examples of overlaps between areas as diverse as industry, development and research on top of the obvious links between environment and energy.
But the Dane said it would not be possible to put everything under one DG. “Therefore you must do it the other way around by mainstreaming,” she said. Hedegaard pledged to work closely with other commissioners, saying legislative initiatives would often be triggered in conjunction with them. But she admitted that it would be “a bit of a fight” to push other commissioners with their own priorities to make room for a climate dimension in their portfolios. “Climate, energy security and job creation must be the EU’s vision,” she stressed.

The European Commission published the results of the first JTI Call: 16 projects were approved among which a big vehicles demonstration project “H2Moves Scandanavia”, involving Daimler and Fiat fuel cell cars. Also the third extension of the succesful Hydrosol project to produce hydrogen from solar thermal has been funded. Five projects will tackle fuel cell degradation and lifetime fundamentals. Two projects will work on effivient electrolysers. For more infomation please visit the JTI website

Spain’s Prime Minister Zapatero unveiled the priorities for their Presidency of the Counci lbefore the European Parliament on Wednesday, 20 January. The Spanish leader, whose country currently holds the EU’s six-month rotating presidency, said the 27-member union should take measures to promote electric car production in Europe. “The other day I met together with a group of companies, some of the most important in Europe, and it was felt it was fundamental that there should be co-operation and integration of efforts in developing the electric vehicle,” he told MEPs. “If our markets don’t have a regulatory framework to provide financial support, and if we don’t have common standards on the technologies, then it will be difficult for Europe to take a leading role,” he added. However, he didn’t precise if the plan will cover only battery cars or if it will also applies to hybrid, fuel cells and biofuel. EU industry ministers are set to launch the plan at a meeting on the 8 February in the Spanish seaside town of San Sebastian. Greater energy self-sufficiency will also be key to sustainable European growth, said the Spanish leader whose country was one of the worst hit by the recent recession. [...]

The EU Commision published Recommendation 2009/1020/EU of 21 December 2009 on the safe implementation of the use of low sulphur fuel by ships at berth in Community ports. Art. 4b of Council Directive 1999/32/EC relating to a reduction in the sulphur content of certain liquid fuels provides for the maximum sulphur content of marine fuels used by ships at berth in Community ports.   As of 1 January 2010, this new Recommendation includes obligations for Member States to ensure that vessels do not use marine fuels with a sulphur content .exceeding 0.1 % by mass and that marine gas oils are not placed on the market in their territory if the sulphur content of those marine gas oils exceeds 0.1 % by mass. Art. 6 of the Directive also provides that Member States must check by sampling that the sulphur content of marine fuels complies with the relevant provision of Art. 4b and that sampling commences from the date of entry into force of the requirement. As part of the enforcement actions against ships which fail to comply with these requirement while at berth, Member States should request them to provide detailed evidence of the steps they are taking to [...]

The FAC Conference on Control Methodologies & Technology for Energy-Efficiency will take place on March 29- 31, 2010 in Vilamoura, Portuga.

Portuguese Hydrogen Association, AP2H2 in collaboration with municipality of Torres Vedras and EDEN association will organize 3º Seminário Internacional sobre a Economia do Hidrogénio (3rd International Seminar on Hydrogen Economy) on 11 and 12 March 2010. Information on program and registration here

The EHA submitted to EU Commission president Barosso’s request for input on his EU 2020 strategy. The EHA indicated that the European hydrogen and fuel cell sector embodies the potential that the Commission’s consultation paper seeks to realise by 2020, contributing to the priorities that form the main drivers of EU 2020: 1. Accumulating knowledge on a new energy and transport technology and produce commercial applications; many fuel cell systems are already competitive products; 2.  Fostering creativity and innovation especially in SME’s; many hydrogen and fuel cell design-to-product development took place in Europe’s small and medium sized companies. 3. Facilitating a step change to a clean and efficient use of primary energy sources including renewable sources: highest well to wheel efficiency of hydrogen produced by renewable sources used in fuel cells. The EHA psostion paper can be downloaded below. EHA contribution to the EU 2020 consultation.