EHA in Action

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.  

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 [...]

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.