1. The EHA promotes hydrogen as an important energy carrier in a low carbon economy:

Hydrogen is widely recognized as a clean and enabling energy carrier in developing a fossil fuel clean energy and transport system and to reduce drastically local emissions. Hydrogen as an energy storage medium should become and integral part of EU’s future smart grids to balance intermittent energy sources. In order to accelerate the commercial market for hydrogen applications, the EHA is informing a broad range of key decision makers, as well as the general public to ensure that the use of hydrogen is integrated in EU policy and regulatory frameworks.

2. EHA has become a point of reference for EU, national and local decision makers:

In 2000 five national hydrogen organisations established the European Hydrogen Association (EHA) to promote the use of hydrogen as an energy vector in Europe. In 2004 major European industries active in the development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies joined the EHA and enforced this effort to create a commercial market for stationary and transport applications and a role as market leader for European industries. In 2005 the EHA opened its office in Brussels and has become in a relatively short time a trusted and influential point of reference for European institutions. The EHA currently represents 14 national associations and the main European companies active in hydrogen infrastucture development.

3. EHA ensures visibility of hydrogen and fuel cells in EU institutions:

By creating a presence at important meetings of the Commisison, European Parliament and other European organisations, the EHA has been able to enhance the visibility of hydrogen and fuel cells in Europe towards key EU decision makers. The EHA has been successful in submitting amendments to EU dossiers to ensure that the integration of the use in Europe’s energy and transport system is facilitated and not obstructed. Over the past few years the EHA has demonstrated that its unique membership structure, providing up-close insight in local as well as industrial developments, can be very effective to advocate that the creation of a coordinated European infrastructure for hydrogen has to start today.

4. EHA promotes the role of hydrogen in Europs future energy mix:

With its active participation in the the EU Sustainable Energy Week, since the first edition in 2007, and its contribution to the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan, the EHA has informed EU policy makers and the renewable energy community in Europe about the opportunities and technologies available to build local hydrogen production chains that link intermittent renewable energy sources and location constrained biomass to hydrogen as a storage medium. The EHA is also verifying opportunites for hydrogen production in the EU’s future Carbon Capture and Storage projects.

5. The EHA is paving the way for large scale hydrogen infrastructure built up:
Car makers, developing the power train of the future that will meet consumer exepctations for individual transport, consider electric vehicles powered by conventionall batteries or fuel cells the most carbon lean transport solution. Therefore the EHA is convincing key decision makers that the integration of the use hydrogen in energy and transport systems needs to start today with large scale demonstrations and EU wide harmonisation of authorisation procedures.

6. EHA facilitates development of urban integrated hydrogen projects:
Starting in Brussels and in collaboration with its national member associations the EHA is actively pursuing opportunites to enlarge the visibility of hydrogen applications at local level. The EHA Taskforce “Hydrogen in the City” organized several meetings for the technical staff of EU buidlings in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg  that have resulted in more awareness of the potential of hydrogen applications of EU building management. In addition the Taskforce is identifying key urban locations, as logistics centres, airports and harbors, where the use of several hydrogen applications in an urban setting could be started today to guarantee a speedy uptake of market ready products.

7. The EHA actively supports developments in European Regions:

Since  2008 the EHA is hosting the secretariat of the European Regions and Municipalities Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, HyRaMP, representing 26 Regions and Cities across Europe involved in hydrogen infrastructure development and demonstrations. Local governments will be crucial in building the first markets for hydrogen applications and in facilitating authorisations for hydrogen installations. Therefore the EHA together with its national member associations will continue its active support to local governments, providing technology updates, exchange of best practice and informing local networks of similar developments in Europe.

8. EHA contributes to relevant EU Programmes:

EHA’s industrial members are actively participating in the Industrial Grouping of the Joint Undertaking for Fuel Cells and Hydrogen FCH JTI, a new instrument funded by the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme, private industry and national governments to accelerate the market for hydrogen and fuel cells. In order to facilitate an effective alignment of national and regional programmes, to leverage funding and to ensure wide dissemination of best practice and relevant project results, the EHA has offered its expertise in these areas to the JTI. It is expected that the role of the EHA and its national association members in these areas will only increase in the coming years. In addition the EHA is lobbying other potential EU support agencies, as the European Agency for Enterprise and Innovation Europe, LIFE, State Aid, Regional finance  programmes and EU educational programmes to support hydrogen projects.

9. The EHA supports secretariat for educational activities in Europe:

As a result of the work of the EHA as chair of the Subgroup Education of the Implementation Panel that prepared the framework for the JTI, the EHA is hosting the HYFED 6 coordinating secretariat that is maintaining a database of educational activities in Europe. In 2008 the EHA became vice chair of the Education Work Group of the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy, IPHE.

10. EHA’s RSS feeds and interactive website allow high visibility of EHA:
The EHA is making sure that the use of hydrogen has a high visibility in all new media and web based communities in this way receiving higher rankings of the main search engines. Offering a range of RSS feeds , (“Really Simple Syndication” to view selected news items on a homepage of any browser or in Outlook ) the EHA website allows for instant updates on the main developments in Europe and beyond.