On October 6th, 2021, during the Green Hydrogen Forum at The smarter E Europe Restart 2021, the German hydrogen and fuel cell association DWV (Deutscher Wasserstoff- und Brennstoffzellen-Verband) as well as Hydrogen Europe together with the European Fuel Cell Forum published “The Green Hydrogen Manifesto.” It contains twelve demands addressed to policy-makers and governments at the EU, national and regional level. The authors’ aim is to promote the role of hydrogen as the means to a circular economy and full decarbonization and to create a sustainable hydrogen and energy economy.
EU
The industrial sector hits on hydrogen
Digital Handelsblatt Energy Summit 2021
Global energy trends are clearly moving in the direction of hydrogen – and away from fossil fuels. That’s the conclusion that can be drawn from the three-day digital energy summit staged by German business paper Handelsblatt which ran from Jan. 13 to Jan. 15, 2021. The energy sector as a whole faces enormous challenges as it continues along the path of decarbonization. Coal will be exhausted and demand for oil, too, will gradually decline in favor of hydrogen – with green hydrogen a credible prospect in the longer term given its renewable credentials. Natural gas must also become cleaner, though carbon capture and storage, CCS, remains a divisive issue. “Turquoise” hydrogen, meanwhile, can be viewed as a sensible option for applications associated with the production of green steel. No mention was made of yellow hydrogen produced from biogas, and was addressed instead in terms of hydrogen created using nuclear power.
Shortage of fuel cell buses
In many communities, electric buses have been the latest innovation to grab the attention of passengers and mayors alike. While passengers are just thrilled about the quiet and smooth ride, mass transit companies are looking for businesses that can deliver these types of vehicles, especially fuel cell ones, as quickly as possible. However, few options are for sale, despite a boost in demand.
EU Funding Explained
The European Commission publishes metadata about all funding approved as part of the 7th Framework Program (FP7) and Horizon 2020, with the latter still in effect to date. Analytical tools can be used to process and sift through this data to gain valuable information, for example, about the competitive environment. This article will show which organizations have entered into collaboration as part of European support programs and what their collaborative networks look like.
Power-to-Gas Ready for the Market
The German Energy Agency, or dena for short, is an independent company in which the federal government owns a 50 percent stake. By its own account, it is a “center of excellence for energy efficiency, renewables and smart energy systems,” although it had focused on centrally controlled supply under the management of its first director, Stephan Kohler. In 2011, attempts were made to include more innovative, decentralized technologies through launching the Power to Gas Strategy Platform alongside partners from science and business. Since then, dena has organized an annual conference on the topic (see Reinventing the Energy Grid). H2-international spoke with the current managing director of dena, Kristina Haverkamp, about power-to-gas and the company’s priorities.
KnowHy – EU-wide Offer of H2 Training
The success of marketing a new technology hinges on the number of people who know how to install, maintain and repair it properly. In 2014, the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking launched the KnowHy project to disseminate knowledge of fuel cell technologies that had reached near-market maturity. Supported by the European Commission’s 7th Framework Program, the project became more detailed as the years passed. Now fully developed, it will continue until 2020.
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.
Incentives for 400,000 Battery and Fuel Cell Cars
The Car Summit that took place in the chancellor’s office resulted in the creation of the long-requested economic incentive for electric cars. In Berlin on April 26, 2016, Chancellor Angela Merkel came to an agreement with the heads of the automotive companies about an “incentive lite,” to which the industry had to contribute at least half of the funding. That didn’t stop other politicians and environmental organizations from criticizing the agreement.
DWV to Pave the Way for Green Hydrogen
The parliamentary evening organized each year by the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (DWV) was held at the British embassy in Berlin in mid-November of 2015. More members of parliament than ever showed up to the event dedicated to Green Hydrogen for an Efficient Energy Transformation.
Fuel-Cell Cars and Their GHG Emissions
In 2012, the transport sector’s share in overall greenhouse gas emissions was 19.7% across the 28 member states of the European Union, making it the second-largest producer of greenhouse gases after the energy sector. To achieve the EU Commission’s climate protection targets for the transport industry, these emissions need to be lowered by 70% compared to 2008 values. The following will give an overview of how fuel-cell cars can mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in the EU up to 2050 and help achieve EU goals. The carbon footprint is