Introduction7 April, 2011The EU Smart Cities and Communities Initiative, as part of the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan and further outlined in the EU Commission’s Communication “Energy 2020 – A strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy”, with an indicative budget of € 11 bln up to 2020 (COM2009/519) should accelerate the uptake of clean energy technologies in 30 cities throughout Europe. The EU recently has launched a consultation on Smart Cities in which it soliciting concrete project ideas for different technologies. To make sure that hydrogen and fuel cell technologies are included in the Smart Cities efforts, the EHA in collaboration with HyRaMP, NEW IG and Fuel Cell Europe organized a seminar during the EU Sustainable Energy Week on April 13 to highlight hydrogen’s potential in creating Smart an Sustainable European Cities.
Hydrogen is already becoming part of European urban transport systems as the Clean Hydrogen In European Cities (CHIC) project, has put 3 Fuel Cell Hydrogen (FCH) buses in regular service through the Streets of London recently, adding 5 more by the end of 2011 in time for the London Olympics in 2012. A total of 26 buses will be introduced within the project in a further 4 locations (Aargau, Milan, Oslo, and Bozen/Bolzano). The Brussels (in)crowd, visiting the EU Charlemagne venue and EU Commissions Berlayemont building were able to “Hop on a CHIC bus” during the EU Sustainable Energy Week on April 12, 13, and 14 to hear about the CHIC project and the five EU projects for which the EHA is facilitating the dissemination (see under EHA Project Info). At the Hanover Fair, where the EHA was present at the 18th edition of the H2 and FC Group Exhibit, the Ride and Drive event draw huge lines to test the Daimler, Opel, Volkswagen and and Nissan FCV’s. While three Daimler B Class fuel cell cars are half way during their world tour…..
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