Events

In order to support the preparation of proposals for the new Calls for Proposals and preparation for proposals on Energy and other topics under the FP7, the European Commission’s Directorates-General are organising various Information Days in July 2011 in the Charlemagne Building, rue de la Loi n° 170, in Brussels: July 7, 11-12, and 18-19 FP7 Energy Research Information Day – 2012 calls: 7 July 2011 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. There will also be sufficient time to answer any questions and to get in contact with other potential proposers and project partners. For more information please visit the event’s website. FP7 INFORMATION DAYS for the Public Private Partnerships on ‘ Energy-efficient Buildings, Factories of the Future and Green Cars’: 11-12 July 2011 In order to support the preparation of proposals, the Directorates General for Research & Innovation, Information Society and Media, Energy, and for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission are holding Joint Information Days on Research PPPs on 11+12 July 2011 in the Charlemagne building, rue de la Loi 170, in Brussels. At these Information Days participants will be [...]

On 1st July 2011, the Commission launched a new European Energy Efficiency Fund (EEE-F) as part of the European Energy Programme for Recovery (EEPR).

It will allocate around EUR 146 million from the EEPR (3.7% of the total EEPR envelope) towards a new financial facility dedicated to projects in energy efficiency and renewable energies. This EU contribution comes from funds mobilised for the EEPR in 2009 which could not immediately be allocated to projects in the sectors of infrastructure, off-shore wind and carbon capture and storage. The setting up of the fund follows an agreement between the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament in December 2010 to a European Commission proposal.

The EEE-F will invest in energy saving, energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, particularly in urban settings, achieving at least 20% energy saving or GHG/CO2 emission reduction.
The fund will offer a wide range of financial products such as senior and junior loans, guarantees or equity participation to local, regional and (where justified) national public authorities to promote sustainable energy investments.

The Shell Eco-marathon challenges school and college student teams from around the world to design, build and test energy efficient vehicles. The winner is the team that goes the furthest distance using the least amount of energy.
Linde Group took part in the event as a hydrogen sponsor. They also supported all the teams with technical issues, especially with regards to hydrogen.

A 700 bar fast-fill hydrogen refuelling station opened this week in Holstebro, Denmark. Capable of refuelling a fuel cell vehicle in less than three minutes, this station is the first of its type in the area and is one of the first steps towards forming a countrywide network by 2015; networks of this type will be needed by then to meet the demands of fuel cell vehicle fleets scheduled for commercialisation at that time.
Developed by H2 Logic A/S and operated by Danish energy company Vestforsyning A/S the project was supported by funding from the Danish EUDP program. Built in accordance with standard SAE J 2601, the station features a standardised dispenser nozzle and meets other requirements for speed of refuelling; hence it will be universally suitable for use with fuel cell vehicles meeting this standard.
The ultimate aim of projects like this is to attract the initial rollouts of fuel cell vehicles through facilitating the necessary infrastructure. A B-Class Mercedes F-CELL was showcased alongside the station to demonstrate the refuelling technology.

Another year for EHA was marked with the 11th EHA Annual General Assembly that took place on June 21, 2011 in Oslo, hosted by the Norwegian Hydrogen Forum and the Region of Akkershus. During the meeting Ballast Nedam, a multinational construction company active in gas refuelling station building, was accepted as an EHA industry member and the Irish Hydrogen Association as the EHA’s 20th national association member. This year’s AGM featured the Scandinavian national associations members of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland and several Scandinavian companies presenting their latest activities (see presentations under EHA in Action). A visit to Oslo ‘s 700 bar hydrogen refuelling facility and recharging spots demonstrated the impressive progress Region of Akkershus is making in decarbonzing Oslo’s urban transport.
This summer many stakeholders in the hydrogen and fuel cell industry will be busy preparing their proposals before the deadline on August 18, 2011, following the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking publishing of the call for proposals (May 3, 2011). The EHA is verifying participation as a dissemination partner in various proposals leveraging its coverage in now 20 European countries through its national association membership. In addition the EC is launching its FP7 2012 Call this July; information days will take place July 7, 11-12, and 18-19 for the topics Energy Research, Public Private Partnerships and Transport.

The European Commission has launched  three calls for proposals under the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) multi-annual programme, making €180 million available to finance European transport infrastructure projects in the fields of European Rail Traffic Management Systems (ERTMS), Motorways of the Sea (MoS) and River Information Services (RIS). This will help to make travel and transport by rail and water more safe and secure, as well as more attractive compared to other transport modes. For more information see DG MOVE

H2 Logic and Hydrogen Link announced 20 June 2011 the launch of a new hydrogen refueling station in Holstebro, Denmark.
It is the first 700bar refueling station as part of the LINK2009 project that has been supported by the Danish Energy Agency EUDP program with a project budget of €5 million.

Hydrogen Sweden are present for one week in Almedalen, Sweden during which hydrogen and fuel cell technologies will be presented on several occasions. 

The UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Association is holding its Summer Networking Reception on the evening of the 7th July 2011. The occasion provides the opportunity for informal networking and knowledge-sharing among the members of the Association. The results of the ‘Hydrogen Coalition’ study and its impact and implications since publication last year will be presented.

The DGs Research and Innovation, Information Society and Media, Energy, and Mobility and Transport are organising Joint Information Days on Research PPPs  for the on 11 and 12 July 2011 to support the proposal preparation phase. The event’s scope will specifically be on PPPs on: – Energy-Efficient Buildings, – Factories of the Future, – and Green Cars. In particular, research areas, conditions for participation and future priorities of the PPPs will be discussed. The participants will be provided with the opportunity to meet and establish contact with potential proposers and partners as well as presenting their own project ideas. For more information on registration, programme, brokerage activities and other practical information please refer to the event pages.