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New EU Climate Action Commissioner announces new EU Climate Strategy 2030

marieke — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:35:22 +0000

Commissioner Connie Hedegaard of Climate Action presented the new EU strateg to the EU Parliament on March 9 indicating that international negotiations must ensure that the future global agreement will have a high level of environmental integrity and will actually keep warming below 2°C. The EU sees the Kyoto Protocol as the central building block of the UN process but the limited number of countries it covers, and its serious weaknesses, must be addressed. If allowed to continue these weaknesses, which concern accounting rules for forestry emissions and the handling of surplus national emission rights from the 2008-2012 period, would risk reducing industrialised countries’ current emission reduction pledges to almost zero. The Commission believes the EU must show leadership by taking tangible action to become the most climate friendly region of the world as part of the Europe 2020 strategy proposed on 3 March. The EU has committed to a 20% emissions cut below 1990 levels by 2020, and to scaling up this reduction to 30% if other major economies agree to do their fair share of the global effort. Ahead of the June European Council, the Commission will prepare an analysis of what practical policies would be required to implement the 30% emission reduction. The Commission will later outline a pathway for the EU’s transition to becoming a low-carbon economy by 2050. Consistent with the EU 2020 strategy, the goal is to come with intelligent solutions that benefit not only climate change, but also energy security and job creation. Swift implementation of the EU’s commitment to provide €2.4 billion in ‘fast start’ financial assistance to developing countries annually in 2010-2012 is essential both to the EU’s credibility and to enhancing recipient countries’ capacities to address climate change. The Communication underlines that the EU should continue to work to advance the development of the international carbon market, which is essential for driving low-carbon investments and reducing global emissions cost-effectively. The carbon market can also generate major financial flows to developing countries. The EHA therefore has scheduled a meeting in March with the new DG Climate Action officials to discuss how hydrogen and fuel cell deployment projects in developing countriescould be best integrated in these investment programmes.

Advancing carbon markets

NHA Hydrogen Conference & Expo, 3-6 May 2010, Long Beach California

tanya — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:48 +0000

The NHA Hydrogen Conference and Expo is the largest hydrogen conference in the U.S. and the longest running annual hydrogen conference in the world.

This event will be your best opportunity of the year to learn about breakthroughs, progress on commercialization challenges and network over a few days with the brightest minds and business leaders in the industry.

For more info, please visit www.hydrogenconference.org/

EHA organises Session on Electric Transport at EU Sustainable Energy Week March 23, 2010

tanya — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:55:01 +0000

Local initiatives to integrate electric transport applications in urban transport systems are accelerating throughout Europe. Electric vehicles powered by batteries and fuel cells require the development of a new sustainable refuelling infrastructure that makes the most efficient use of local primary energy sources including renewables. HyRaMP in collabroation with the European Hydrogen Association, EHA, the West Midlands in Europe office and with the support of ERTRAC and the Joint Undertaking for Hydrogen and Fuel cells organises a session that will give an update of activities in EU programmes that support the development of both battery and fuel cell powered vehicles and infrastructures. There will also be presentations of local and regional initiatives that are already integrating both technologies into their public fleets. A panel of EU officials responsible for EU’s transport policy and industry experts will address how to best coordinate and accelerate the creation of an efficient electric transport system.

To register please send an email to info@h2euro.org with your name organisation, email and tel. For more info visit the EUSEW website. Download the programme above

World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2010 open for registration

tanya — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:53:27 +0000

The World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2010, that will be held from May 16-21, 2010 in Essen, Germany, is open for registration. The objective of the 18th World Hydrogen Energy Conference is to promote hydrogen technologies and to identify scientific and strategic issues in the field of hydrogen and fuel cells giving answers based on the most advanced state of the art in science and engineering. Decision makers in politics, industry, research, and finance will be addressed in dedicated strategic sessions of the first conference day. Contributions from international experts will focus on the role and path of hydrogen in the energy economy. The major share of the programme is dedicated to the presentation of cutting-edge research and development on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The event, organized by the the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), member of HyRaMP, will feature drive and rides, technical tours and a student’s day. For more information on the event and the call for papers please visit the WHEC 2010 website.

EU 2020 will look greener, smarter and more inclusive

marieke — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:43:13 +0000

The Europe 2020 Strategy, launched by the Commision on March 3 should steer Europe out of the crisis and prepare EU economy for the next decade. The Commission identifies three key drivers for growth, to be implemented through concrete actions at EU and national levels: smart growth (fostering knowledge, innovation, education and digital society), sustainable growth (making our production more resource efficient while boosting our competitiveness) and inclusive growth (raising participation in the labour market, the acquisition of skills and the fight against poverty).

Progress towards these objectives will be measured against five representative headline EU-level targets, which Member States will be asked to translate into national targets reflecting starting points:

- 75 % of the population aged 20-64 should be employed.

- 3% of the EU’s GDP should be invested in R&D.

- The “20/20/20″ climate/energy targets should be met.

- Early school leavers should be under 10% and at least 40% of the younger generation have a diploma

- 20 million less people should be at risk of poverty.

More info at the EU 2020 website.

Royal Mail has announced plans to begin testing two hydrogen vans

lana — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:01:29 +0000

The Royal Mail has announced plans to begin testing two hydrogen-powered vans at Stornaway in Scotland.
The six-month trial will feature Transit-based vans with a back-up of a 2.3-litre petrol engine, a supercharger, and either two or three hydrogen tanks, which provide a range of about 85 miles.

Competitveness Council calls for Action Plan Clean and Energy Efficient Vehicles

marieke — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:00:01 +0000

The EU Competitiveness Council on March 1 invited the Commission to develop an Action Plan for Clean and Energy-efficient vehicles (including the growing role of fully electric cars and plug in hybrids) that will:

a) encourage the development of the necessary infrastructure in Europe for new mobility technologies, in particular for battery recharging;
b) stress the importance of RTD and innovation for further improving the technological performance and attractiveness of clean and energy-efficient vehicles to the consumer, such as battery improvement;
c) pay particular attention to ensuring a comprehensive single market and develop normalisation and standardisation in the field of clean and energy-efficient vehicles, in particular in the area of vehicles safety, and to promote relevant actions in response to interfaces between vehicles and network’s infrastructures;
d) promote measures to encourage the global competitiveness of the European clean and energy-efficient vehicle industry.
The EHA has stressed the importance of more coordination in the development of the infrastructure for electric vehicles including battery and as well as fuel cell electric vehicles. This topic will be discussed at the EUSEW seminar on March 23 in Brussels that the EHA is co-organising (see under EHA in Action)

Another Hydrogen Olympics!

lana — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:41:10 +0000

During the 2010 Olympic and Paralympics Winter Games British Columbia operated the worlds largest fleet of fuel cell powered buses in a single location to date. Where no car is allowed hydrogen busses are. BC Transit low – floor hydrogen buses have a range of 450 – 500 kilometers and a top speed of 90 km/h. Air Liquide installed a hydrogen refuelling station in Vancouver for this occasion.

Comparing to the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics the 2010 Olympic Games are greener than ever. Still the first Olympic Games that used hydrogen vehicles were in Turin in 2006. The 2006 Fiat Panda Hydrogen Concept was presented there, and again Air Liquide provided the supply for the hydrogen refuelling station. The future looks bright for hydrogen at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games that will be held in London. A taxi cab that runs on the latest hydrogen fuel cell technology is being developed with the aim of being ready for full road trials in time for the 2012 Olympics. London’s deputy mayor, Kit Malthouse, announced last year that by 2012 there would be six hydrogen refuelloing stations in the capital. He said he wanted around 20-50 taxis in operation by then, as well as 150 hydrogen-powered buses. In addition to the ITM Power, who is developing engineering solutions for low-cost low-carbon hydrogen generation refueling stations, Air Products will dispense hydrogen fuel from mobile trailers. The Air Products mobile refueling units will be parked at local gas stations around London providing compressed H2 gas for the black taxis during the 2012 Olympics.

EHA co-organizes session on Electric Transport at EU Sustainable Energy Week March 23, 2010

tanya — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:33:38 +0000

Local initiatives to integrate electric transport applications in urban transport systems are accelerating throughout Europe. Electric vehicles powered by batteries and fuel cells require the development of a new sustainable refuelling infrastructure that makes the most efficient use of local primary energy sources including renewables. The EHA incollabroation with HyRaMP, the West Midlands in Europe office and with the support of ERTRAC and the Joint Undertaking for Hydrogen and Fuel cells organises a session that will give an update of activities in EU programmes that support the development of both battery and fuel cell powered vehicles and infrastructures. There will also be presentations of local and regional initiatives that are already integrating both technologies into their public fleets. A panel of EU officials responsible for EU’s transport policy and industry experts will address how to best coordinate and accelerate the creation of an efficient electric transport system.

To register please send an email to info@h2euro.org with your name organisation, email and tel. For more info visit the EUSEW website. Download the programme above.

EU Commission will table Green Car Strategy by May 25-26, 2010

marieke — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:00:11 +0000

EU Industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani met with ministers in charge of industry on 19 February identifying green technologies as a strategic medium-term perspective for the industry to improve its competitiveness. “A European strategy on Clean and Energy-Efficient Cars should be developed and implemented that sets out the necessary actions to encourage market introduction of green vehicles, including electric cars,” the Commission said in a statement, issued after the informal meeting. The communication should be published in time for a meeting of EU Competitveness Council on May 25-26, 2010. According to EU officials the strategy will be technology neutral but will include hydrogen and biofuels. The Cars 21 initiative will be re established and focus on green car developments.