European Hydrogen Association

Shallow economic prospects for shale gas in Europe?

marieke — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 18:27:15 +0000

DG Environment director of strategy,Robin Miege, said that although shale gas could be a “game-changer” in the United States, condition in Europe were rather different although with Europe’s energy prices over twice the US levels, unconventional fossil fuels are climbing higher up the European policy agenda. The results of the public consultation on Europe’s shale gas prospects, which were presented by the Commission’s environment directorate on 7 June, showed that over half of the respondents were favourable to the development of shale gas in Europe.

According to Mr. Miege , potential benefits of European shale gas production are mostly diversification of the EU’s energy mix, energy security, with possibilities in re-negotiating with gas suppliers, but “the effect on prices is not necessarily going to be major”.

A majority of respondents to the public consultation indadicated that the main potential benefits of shale gas were indeed decreasing the EU’s energy import dependency costing 1 bln a day, and strengthening the EU’s negotiating position with external suppliers. Over 50% of those questioned also believed that shale gas would make energy cheaper for consumers.

However, numerous analyses of the potential impacts are more cautious. Unconventional gas production costs in Europe are likely to be two times higher than in the US, according to a study by the International Energy Agency as there are geological and geographical differences between the US and Europe, as well as much a higher population density. In addition a less developed gas infrastructure in some countries and environmental consequences of fracking could result in higher costs as well (photo: Getty images).

EU President Van Rompuy addresses key energy issues

marieke — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:54:34 +0000

The EHA attended a high level conference organseed by the Egmont institute for international relations “Beyond the 2020 horizon: Moving towards a common EU energy policy”. According EU president van Rompuy global energy demand will rise by 30% by 2025 and the EU risks to become the only area in the world to depend almost entirely on oil and gas imports. He also referred to the recent remarks of EC president Barroso that a 20% increase in energy efficiency wouls close 1000 coal power plants. Baringa consultancy reported that current projections for renewable energy are well below the planned and required trajectory overal and for all technologies except PV. Acceleration of investments is likely to lead to increase in costs rather than benefitting form experience curve. Lately the European Energy Policy focus on the triangle with decarbonisation on the top and affordability and security of supply at the bottom has reversed to affordability and and security of supply at the top and decarbonisation at the bottom. At the meeting European energy companeis commented on the EU’s energy policy for 2030; Edison suggested to include wind energy lifetime cost consiidrations. Siemens indicated that without storage no balanced grid is possible by 2030 recommended a best – solution model based on location optimized use of renewable. GDF Suez called for an new industry initiative to stir investment.

EHA Annual General Meeting June 28, 2013, 1100 -1530 hrs, Brussels

Karen — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 13:31:06 +0000

The 14th EHA Annual General Meeting will tak place on June 28, from 11:00 till 15:30 at our new premises at the House of the European Cities, Municipalities and Regions at Square de Meeûs 1 (1 st floor), 1000 Brussels. The meeting will take place during the EU Sustainable Energy Week that sees a broad program of events this year.

We are looking forward to discuss the EHA’s contribution to Europe’s ambition to develop sustainable alternative fuel infrastructure linked to clean power. The EU director for New Energy technologies, innovation and clean coal and responsible for the new SET Plan, Ms. Andreea Strachinescu, has confirmed her presence at the meeting.

The latest EU Communication Energy Technologies and Innovation (COM2013/253) includes a reference to the development of integrated roadmaps of different clean energy solutions executed by national action plans. In combination with the EU ambition in building a sustainable alternative fuel infrastructure (Clean Power for Transport (COM 2013/17), including the first article dedicated to hydrogen in the EU Directive history, these developments point to an increasing role of EHA national hydrogen associations in ensuring the involvement of key national stakeholders including SME.

Spanish & Canadian H2 Associations sign partnership to advance research and development of HFC market

Karen — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 15:49:29 +0000

The Spanish Hydrogen Association (AeH2) and the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (CHFCA) have decided to combine their efforts to promote, in both countries, the research and technology development in the hydrogen and fuel cell sector, thus encouraging the collaboration and cooperation between the partner/member entities of both associations. This agreement is birthed in view of the need to promote advances in the hydrogen sector on an international level, thus providing a meeting point for professionals of the Canadian and Spanish sector.

Next June 18, 2013, within the framework of the International Conference: Hydrogen + Fuel Cells 2013 (June 16-19, Vancouver), the President of the AeH2, Mr. José Javier Brey Sánchez, and the President of the CHFCA, Mr. Eric Denhoff, will sign a partnership agreement .

Among the planned actions included in the partnership agreement are the following g:

To promote the relationship and cooperation among the member entities of both associations, as well as to further the development of hydrogen and fuel cell technology industry in both countries.
To increase bilateral cooperation alliances among companies of the sector from both countries, with a view toward holding technology transfer events (workshops, conferences, seminars, etc.) and to promote the startup of high-standard R+D+I projects, all of this in order to strengthen the collaboration between the member companies of AeH2 and CHFCA, as well as the work on a global scale.

By promoting the internationalization of Spanish companies in an efficient way, this partnership agreement will likewise increase the competitiveness of the hydrogen and fuel cell sector, and therefore, the domestic economy as well. It is worth noting that, thanks to the invaluable cooperation and support to the sector on the part of the Canadian Embassy in Spain, the signing of this partnership agreement is becoming a reality. Said Embassy has been collaborating with both associations since 2010, thus promoting a joint effort of the same for the sustainability and efficiency of the current energy system.

Full press release attached

EHA’s Annual General Assembly on June 28, 2013 Brussels turns national

marieke — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 04:57:53 +0000

At this year’s Annual General Assembly on June 28, 2013 in Brussels, during the EU Sustainable Energy Week, the EHA will highlight the activities of its various national associations in the development of national H2Mobility programs that are currently under way in several countries in Europe. Over the last year the EHA, in collaboration with HyER, has supported the development of the first hydrogen project funded by the EU Trans European Network for Transport (TEN T), the HIT project (Hydrogen Infrastructure for Transport), that is supported by four countries along a 1000 km TEN T corridor from Gothenburg to Rotterdam. The project, that was signed of by the Ministries of Transport and Infrastructure of Sweden, Denmark and France and is coordinated by the Netherlands, is seeking to harmonize National Implementation Plans for the build up of hydrogen refueling stations. These NIP’s seek to identify sustainable market deployment strategies that involve the most important national stakeholders, including SME and are linked to the strategies of neighbouring countries. The role of national associations, in ensuring that all relevant national stakeholders are engaged in this process, has been proven crucial. The EHA will also address the Green Paper “A 2030 framework for climate and energy policies” [COM(2013) 169] with regards to the role of hydrogen. A public consultation on this dossier is running till July 2, 2013 with a set of specific questions including on the development of differentiated targets per Member State. The EHA Activity Plan for 2014 will include specific support actions to assist national member associations in ensuring that the use of hydrogen will be further supported by future national and EU legislators.

Role EHA national member associations crucial in roll out EU alternative fuel infrastructure

marieke — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 03:51:07 +0000

This May the EU Commission started the first national rounds with alternative fuel stakeholders to support its ambitions in alternative fuel infrastructure development as included in its proposal for Clean Power for Transport. The Italian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association, with the support of the EHA, is organising one of the first of these meetings where fuel cell and hydrogen sector representatives will meet with the Commission on June 21 in Milan to discuss hydrogen refuelling station rollout in the coming years. These meetings are a good example of the role EHA national member associations could play in bringing together key stakeholders to ensure an economically, environmentally sustainable hydrogen infrastructure build up involving SME and regional and local decision makers. In view of the Commission ambitions in its recent Communication on Energy technologies and Innovation (COM (2013) 253) with regards to developing an Integrated Roadmap that consolidate the roadmaps for all energy technologies developed under the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan and the proposed Action Plan on coordinated and/or joint investments by mid-2014, by individual Member States, between Member States and with the EU, the EHA has invited the EU Commission to join its Annual General Assembly on June 28, 2013 to discuss the role of national associations in this process.

HyUnder Open Workshop: Storing renewable energy: is hydrogen a viable solution?”

Karen — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:25:42 +0000

In the context of the Sustainable Energy Week, taking place in Brussels on 24-28 June 2013,this workshop will focus on the use of hydrogen as a mean to store energy both in the short term, for grid balancing, and in the long-term for system stability. Following a snapshot on the future needs for electricity storage in Europe, the workshop will showcase results of four innovative European projects: HyUnder, GRHYD, Myrte and INGRID. Each project addresses a variety of key challenges ranging from large scale hydrogen storage, to grid balancing, power-to-gas and valorisation of energy storage for sustainable mobility. These projects count with the support of European Institutions and National governments, as well as the active involvement of leading European industry players such as Air Liquide, Areva, EDF, E.On Gas, GDF Suez, Shell and Solvay.

The workshop will see the participation of representatives of European institutions, renewable energy producers, energy utilities, large energy consumers, specialists in energy storage, technology developers, research centers, journalists, NGOs.

The event is organised in the context of the Sustainable Energy Week, it will take place onWednesday 26 June from 13:30 till 17:00 at the Hotel Silken Berlaymont, 11-19, Boulevard Charlemagne, Brussels. The number of seats available is limited.

You can register for the workshop via the EUSEW website by following this link. For more information please visit the website.

First hydrogen filling station for forklift trucks in France, for IKEA

Karen — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:20:10 +0000

EHA member Air Liquide is going to provide IKEA, the leading specialized retailer, with a hydrogen filling station to supply part of its logistic platform in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, near Lyon in France.

In the context of this project, the hydrogen filling station will supply around twenty forklift trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells produced by HyPulsion (a joint venture 80%-owned by Air Liquide’s subsidiary Axane and 20%-owned by Plug Power). These electric forklift trucks are hydrogen-powered, they reject only water and offer extended run time for 8 hours.

Air Liquide’s filling station will supply hydrogen at a pressure of 350 bar, with refills in 3 minutes. Replacing electric batteries with fuel cells provides greater flexibility and productivity thanks to a longer operating range for users and a shorter down-time for refilling.

With a surface area of 100,000 m2, IKEA’s distribution centre in Saint Quentin-Fallavier is a key warehouse for the upstream logistics of IKEA’s stores in Southern Europe, organising the receipt and storage of products delivered from all over the world.

The use of hydrogen as an energy carrier for logistic platforms has been developing in the U.S. and Canada, with over 3,000 forklift trucks currently running on hydrogen. The conversion of just 10% of the worldwide fleet of forklift trucks would represent a potential hydrogen market of €7 billion.

Gert Bruggers, General Manager Distribution Service Provider IKEA France, declared: ”This project is in line with other innovative energy projects that our Group is conducting. Moreover, this allows us to increase our operational efficiency. It contributes to the evolution of the regulatory environment, which will allow an increase in hydrogen energy applications in France.”

François Darchis, Senior Vice-President and a member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee, commented: ”After the contracts in North America, the Group is proud to set up this first filling station on a logistic platform for IKEA in France. This project, which is a first in Europe, proves the competitiveness and technical maturity of this solution for electric forklift trucks.
And thanks to the cooperation between public and private partners, it is the opportunity to drive change in the regulations to allow the development of hydrogen energy in France.”

This project is the result of work carried out by the partners of the ”Horizon Hydrogène Energie” program in France, funded by OSEO, and the fruit of effective cooperation with public authorities.

EHA teams up with EBTC

Karen — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:43:13 +0000

The European Hydrogen Association recently became a member of EBTC – the European Business and technology centre. EBTC is a programme co-funded by the European Union and implemented by EUROCHAMBRES, the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry. A key role is played by 16 European partners combining business organisations, academic and research institutes from all over the EU, all of them with a successful track record in their respective field. Their mission is to assist the Business, Science & Research Community – in Europe and India – to work together towards generating new business opportunities in clean technology transfer & establishing business relevant cooperation in the field of research, science and technology. EBTC’s hope to become a reference point for promoting European clean technologies in India and to be recognised for the quality of its services, its knowledge of the Indian market and its capacity to reach out to the entire European business and research community. The programme works hand in hand with existing networks, initiatives, partners, and institutions – both in Europe and India – in order to identify synergies and create a real European added value.

European Technical School on Hydrogen Fuel Cells 2013,

Karen — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 08:59:03 +0000

The European Technical School on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells 2013 (TS2013) will be held on 23-27 September 2013 at the Agapi Beach Hotel (Crete, http://h2fc.eu/files/downloads/newsletter2013_crete.pdf) as a part of the H2FC European Infrastructure project (www.h2fc.eu).

The fee for TS2013 (935 euro) covers six nights (Sunday 22 – Saturday 28) accommodation on a single occupancy, all inclusive basis (i.e. all meals and local beverages are included). Attendees may check in from 15:00 on Sunday 22ndand must check out by 12:00 on Saturday the 28^th of September.

To secure a place at TS2013 the registration form should be received by the University of Ulster not later than the 1st of July 2013.

You can email technicalschool@ulster.ac.uk with info or any questions.

All the details and application forms for the School are available on the website