Hydrogen Vehicles on the Road to Copenhagen
Mercedes B-Class crossing the bridge
HyRaMP, in collaboration with Danish hydrogen supplier H2Logic, the European Hydrogen Association, EHA and the NEW IG, the Industrial Grouping of the JTI organised the Hydrogen vehicle bridge crossing from Malmoe to Copenhagen on November 30.
HyRaMP chair Andreas Ziolek and Board members Silvana di Matteo, Iris Flacco and Sven Wolf attended the event in which “15 minus 1″ hydrogen and fuel cell cars crossed the bridge between Malmoe and Copenhagen.
The drive was kicked off at the Malmoe hydrogen station where a hydrogen Th!nk car was refuelled. A stop was made at the new Copenhagen hydrogen station developed by H2Logic.
Th!nk Hydrogen Car crossing the bridge
Silvana di Matteo drove one of the three Fiat Panda’s, sponsored by the Region of Lombardy, as the only female driver. Sven Wolf, HyRaMP Board member for special projects, presented the Sandanivian Partnership at an industry press event afterwards that was moderated by EHA president Lars Sjunnesson.
Background:
Before and during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15) a number of hydrogen and fuel cell showcase and communication activities are under planning, to ensure visibility of the technology.
Honda FX Clarity refueling at hydrogen station
The aim is to exhibit a large fleet of hydrogenpowered vehicles and other fuel cell products and solutions and demonstrate their use in various transport and energy applications.
The initiative is organized by a task force consisting of representatives from the hydrogen & fuel cell Industry & Community and is lead by NEW-IG, together with the European Hydrogen Association.
The showcase will consist of three main elements:
1. Execution of a communication platform ensuring international visibility & strong communication
2. 30th Nov. 2009 FCH Vehicle Parade & Industry Update Meeting in Malmö and Copenhagen
3. Several showcase events before & during COP15 in December, among others use of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
Official EHA Press Release:
Copenhagen– The European Hydrogen Association, EHA, in collaboration with Danish Hydrogen supplier H2Logic, HyRaMP, the European 30-member Regions and Municipalities Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, the Joint Undertaking for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells (JU FCH) and its Industrial Grouping, NEW IG, is organising a Hydrogen Vehicle Parade that will be crossing the scenic bridge between Malmoe and Copenhagen today.
The tour will mark the coming of “commercial age” of hydrogen vehicles and their potential to significantly reduce transport emissions, next to battery electric cars
and second generation biofuelled vehicles. The Parade will be concluded in the Danish Parliament where executives of the main fuel cell vehicle and hydrogen infrastructure companies will present their plans for the future moderated by EHA president Lars Sjunnesson.
Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation/Opel, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, the alliance Renault SA and Nissan Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation, recently announced that they are anticipating that a quite significant number of electric vehicles with fuel cells, a few hundred thousand units over life cycle on a worldwide basis, could be commercialised from 2015 onwards.
EHA Industry members, Shell and Linde are among the partners of the “H2 Mobility” initiative established last month. Together with Daimler, EnBW, OMV,Total, Vattenfall and the NOW GmbH National Organisation for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology they are collaborating in evaluating options for an area-wide roll-out of hydrogen fuelling stations, starting in Germany, to support the introduction of series produced hydrogen powered vehicles.
Hydrogen, used as an energy carrier to power energy and electric transport systems, will play an important role to achieve the EU’s energy efficiency, renewable energy and CO2 emission reduction targets. The advantage of hydrogen over the other energy carrier, electricity, is that it can be stored in high quantities and distributed to urban areas to be used as a zero emission fuel in hydrogen vehicles. This makes hydrogen a strong partner of renewable energy and smart grid systems enhancing the uptake of the use of renewable sources in the coming decades.
The EHA therefore encourages the EU and the rest of the world to step up their efforts in Copenhagen to reach an international climate agreement to accelerate the deployment of clean energy and transport technologies, not only in industrialised countries. As many European companies are frontrunners in the development of these technologies, concrete and effective transfer of innovative technologies, like hydrogen and fuel cells, to the developing world, including India and China, as part of global, energy technology transfer framework, will facilitate widespread use and speed up the development of a truly global market for these technologies.
The EHA, promoting the use of hydrogen as a clean and efficient energy carrier for transport and stationary power applications, is representing fifteen national associations (BE, CH, CZ, DE, ES, F, H, IT, LV, N, NL, PT, PL, SE, UK) and the main hydrogen infrastructure development companies in Europe: Shell Hydrogen, ENI, StatoilHydro, Air Liquide, Air Products, the Linde Group.
