A portfolio of power-trains for Europe_ image

A portfolio of power-trains for Europe: a fact-based analysis

September 2, 2011

The coalition study, by commissioned McKinsey & Company, assesses the role of battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell electric vehicles in achieving significant reductions of CO2 emissions from road transportation by 2050. Released on November 9, the study is based on more than 10,000 confidential and proprietary data points that participating companies provided to McKinsey & Company. This data included information about costs (vehicle costs, operating costs, fuels and infrastructure costs), performance, efficiency and emissions across the entire value chain. It found that installing a dedicated hydrogen infrastructure is “justified and doable”, with an initial infrastructure investment which is “relatively low”. The study includes that both fuel cell electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles could be cost-competitive with internal combustion engines vehicles by 2020. Costs for a hydrogen infrastructure are comparable to installing a charging infrastructure for battery-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Fuel cell electric vehicles received “high marks” in all three categories analysed in the report: performance, economics and environment. Higher risk investments by first-movers can be greatly reduced when several companies invest, coordinated by governments, and supported by dedicated funding and legislation. The study was sponsored by BMW AG, Daimler AG, Ford, General Motors LLC, Honda [...]

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Copenhagen greenest city of Europe according to a Siemens study

December 25, 2009

At the occasion of the COP 15, Siemens presented the European Green City Index, a study on the environmental sustainability of 30 major cities in 30 European countries in which it emerges that Copenhagen is the “greenest” major city in Europe, followed by Stockholm, Oslo, Vienna, and Amsterdam. The evaluation of the 30 cities’ achievements and objectives in the area of environmental and climate protection focuses on eight categories: CO2 emissions; energy; buildings; transportation; water; air quality; waste and land use; and environmental governance. The eight categories are based on 30 individual indicators — 16 of which are quantitative (e.g. consumption of water and energy per capita, recycling rate, and use of public transportation) and 14 qualitative (e.g. CO2 reduction targets, efficiency standards for buildings, and support for environmental protection measures). “As far as possible, the research is based on data from official sources, such as municipal statistics departments and city governments,” said Watson. The study also includes in-depth city portraits that reveal the strengths and weaknesses of each urban center, while also highlighting initiatives and projects from which other cities can learn. “A key element of the study is the comparability of the results from each city — within [...]

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Alternative fuel the future of hydrogen second edition

December 10, 2009

Newly revised with a new chapter on trends in fuel and energy, this book will address many of the factors affecting our energy use, including the availability and desirability of various fuels-especially the use of hydrogen. Topics include energy policy, fuel supply trends, statistics and projections, oil reserves, alternative scenarios, energy utilization, sustainable energy, cost analysis, fuel escalation, energy and development, regulatory issues, barriers to implementation, conversion systems, storage systems, thermodynamic efficiency, fuel chain efficiency, life-cycle efficiency, technology issues extracting, refining, air emission issues, safety, natural gas hydrogen gas, methanol, ethanol, steam reforming and fuel cells.

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Hydrogen Economy book published

December 10, 2009

In the light of ever-increasing global energy use, rising costs of energy services, concerns over energy supply security, climate change and local air pollution, the book, put together by Shell Hydrogen’s Michael Ball and Martin Wietschel of the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, Karlsruhe, Germany, published by Cambridge University Press, centres around the question of how growing energy demand for transport can be met in the long term. Responding to sustained interest in and controversial discussion of the prospects of hydrogen, this book highlights the opportunities and the challenges of introducing hydrogen as alternative fuel in the transport sector from an economic, technical and environmental point of view, and with a global geographic scope. Through its multi-disciplinary approach the book provides a broad range of researchers, decision makers and policy makers with a solid and wide-ranging knowledge base concerning the hydrogen economy. Particular highlights include:  assessment of the benefits and downsides of hydrogen compared to other alternative fuels, strategies and scenarios for a hydrogen infrastructure build-up,  interactions between hydrogen production and the electricity sector, long-term global hydrogen supply scenarios and their impact on resource availability, the potential of hydrogen for decarbonising the transport sector,  macro-economic impacts of introducing [...]

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European Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Projects 1999-2002

October 8, 2009

DG Research published a detailed overview of fuel cell and hydrogen projects and thematic networks funded under the various Specific Programmes and covers the whole of the Fifth Framework Programme (1999-2002), ranging from basic research to large scale demonstration. The EHA for many years has been advocating the need for better access to publishable results of EU projects . The EHA maintains a database of project results for use by its members. The EU overview describes the activities directly undertaken by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in these areas. Each project is summarised, listing the objectives of the project, the challenges faced, the approach taken, the exploitation and impact of the work and the results that have been achieved to date. Some of the projects described have only just started, some are ongoing and some are nearing completion. Each synopsis contains an information section where specific details can be found, including the contact point for further information.

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World Bioenergy Clean Vehicles & Fuels 2009 – 16-18 September 2009

16 Sep - 18 Sep, 2009

The World Bioenergy Clean Vehicles & Fuels 2009 combines the world’s premier bioenergy convention with the leading European event for sustainable transport solutions. The result is an integrated conference, excursion and tradeshow programme unlike any other. Three intensive days that focuses on the practical implementation of bioenergy and sustainable transport systems. The xcursions highlight a variety of commercial examples from Sweden and the greater Stockholm area. for more information click here

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