After a long wait, the European Commission has approved the first projects of IPCEI Hydrogen. With these Important Projects of Common European Interest, significant progress towards the establishment of a hydrogen economy is to be made. The associated special approval under EU state aid law means that much more funding can be allocated than would otherwise be permitted within Europe. Among the initial are four projects from Germany. More are to follow in the course of the year.
Bosch
Back in hall 13 for Hannover Messe
Hydrogen + Fuel Cells Europe, according to the current status, will take place May 30th to June 2nd in person on the Hannover Messe fairgrounds. There, industry representatives will be able to network in the dependable corporeal format again. That’s the assumption of Tobias Renz anyway, the organizer of this trade fair. The space booked for stands may be similar to the last time, in 2019, before the corona pandemic. Renz hopes to be able to present around 200 exhibitors once again.
Portable multi-gas analyzer
Researchers working for Bosch and Linde are developing a new, portable device called an Optical Gas Spectrometer, or OGS. The unit is said to be capable of detecting nearly all types of impurities found in hydrogen and CNG and allow for a detailed analysis of gas compositions.
Despite being as small as a shoe box, the device provides the same functionality as spectrometers used in laboratories. While Linde Gas is now putting the first fully functional prototype through its paces, Bosch is looking for additional partners to improve and beta-test the unit.
Hydrogen Campus in Salzgitter
Early last September, several business, city and state representatives signed a cooperation agreement to construct a Hydrogen Campus on a Bosch-owned site in Salzgitter, Germany. The areal will be used to demonstrate industrial hydrogen applications and include research facilities for reducing a factory’s carbon footprint. Lower Saxony, the German state where Salzgitter is located, will fund the initial stage with EUR 7 million taken from its economic development program.
Batteries for passenger cars – Fuel cells for trucks
Two years ago, the interest of German truck manufacturers and freight forwarders in fuel cells was extremely low. It’s different today. Almost all logistics companies are now in some way concerned with the question of what fuel their vehicles will be powered by in the future.
Bosch is to build fuel cells
At the end of April 2019, Bosch made a loud and clear commitment to fuel cells by announcing its intention to produce FC stacks for mobile applications together with PowerCell Sweden AB in the future. According to a press release, Robert Bosch GmbH wants to “prepare the breakthrough of technology for trucks and passenger cars”.
EU Adopts PACE
The EU has decided to continue subsidizing fuel cell heating systems. The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) announced that on June 1, 2016, the European Union launched the PACE project (Pathway to a Competitive European FC mCHP market) with incentives worth EUR 34 million. Its aim is to have more than 2,650 micro-CHP systems installed at non-field test customers by February 2021 to support market ramp-up. At the same time, a monitoring project should provide the feedback needed to enhance any further developments.
World of Energy Solutions 2015 in Stuttgart
When the World of Energy Solutions took place in Stuttgart from Oct. 12 to 14, 2015, the emission scandal surrounding Volkswagen was still a fresh memory. The #dieselgate was the topic of many conversations and even an issue in a lot of the presentations held at the trade show. During his opening speech, Franz Untersteller, Baden-Wurttemberg‘s Minister of the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector, was confident