EHA Newsletter January 2010

EHA submits contribution to EU 2020 consultation

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.

EU Commission publishes Recommendation on use of low sulphur fuel in EU ports

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 achieve compliance. This should include a contract with a manufacturer and an approved retrofit plan which should be approved by the ship’s classification society or, for ships flying the flag of a Member State, by the organisation having recognition in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 391/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The retrofit plan should clearly state the date of completion of the adaptation and certification process. The Recommendation could further facilitate the market for clean generators including fuel cells in EU ports.

Honda starts operations of solar hydrogen refuelling prototype station in Los Angeles

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.

Bulgarian Hydrogen Association requests EHA membership

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 more information please consult the BG H2 website.