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1. Hydrogen news
European Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Platform (HFP) General Assembly 2006
The Third General Assembly of the Platform took place on 5-6 October 2006 in Brussels. The presentations can be found on-line at: https://www.hfpeurope.org/hfp/ga06-presentations.
Jeremy Bentham (Shell International) announced his retirement after 3 years as Chair of the HFP. His successor will be Herbert Kohler (DaimlerChrysler).
Subsequently, Angel Perez Sainz described the proposed structure of the JTI Governing Board, which would comprise representation from the Commission, a not-for-profit association (i.e. a legally constituted body) representing the industry (draft bye-laws were published at the HFP web-site after the assembly), and (probably) a not-for-profit association representing the research community. The JTI Governing Board would appoint an Executive Director who would be responsible for defining the annual work programme and budget for approval by the Board. The HFP would probably continue as a forum for stakeholders to have their say and organise themselves appropriately. The JTI Programme Office will initially be 50% funded by the EC and 50% by industry and later part-funded by a tax placed on projects.
Mr Francois Jackow, Chair of the HFP Implementation Panel, presented the Platform's Implementation Plan which looks forward 7-10 years and seeks to implement the recommendations of the Strategic Research Agenda and Deployment Strategy adopted in 2005. The draft plan envisages four Innovation and Development Actions (IDAs) which will encompass all necessary activities to achieve the Snapshot 2020 targets of the HFP:
H2 vehicles and infrastructure - development of vehicles and infrastructure technologies to kick-start commercialisation by 2015, or earlier (includes PEM fuel cells, onboard H2 storage, and distribution infrastructure)
Sustainable H2 supply - supplying 10-20% of H2 energy demand with CO2-free or CO2-lean technologies by 2015 (focus on low temperature electrolysis in short term and CO2-free or CO2-lean centralised mass production technologies in the long term),
Fuel cells for CHP and power generation - having > 1 GW capacity by 2015 (includes PEMFC, MCFC, and SOFC),
Fuel cells for portable and early markets - bringing "thousands" of FC products to market by 2010.
An overall total private-public budget of 6.7 billion euros for the period 2007-15 is envisaged, with roughly two-thirds being spent on demonstration activities.
You can keep up to date with the HFP via the Platform newsletter available from: https://www.hfpeurope.org/hfp/newsletter (Fourth Edition, published July 2006).
H2NET news
The next H2NET seminar on Developments in EC Hydrogen Programme and Standards & Safety will take place at CCLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory on 17 October 2006. Unfortunately Bill Borthwick has had to withdraw since he is required to attend an official meeting. His presentation will be replaced by a summary of events at the European HFP General Assembly at the start of this month and a paper by Emma Guthrie of Air Products about the European collaborative project HyLights. A revised programme is provided at the end of this newsletter.
The H2NET seminar itself will be followed (16:15-17:15) by a meeting of the recently formed UK Hydrogen Association (UKHA) to discuss Policy Development. Non-members who might be thinking of joining the UKHA are welcome to attend this meeting.
UKERC Landscape document to be published
The UK Energy Research Centre will launch its Energy Research Atlas, a bold and largescale project designed to provide an open and definitive picture of energy research in the UK, on 16 October 2006. At the same time, the UKERC will launch a new initiative to be known as the National Energy Research Network (NERN) aimed at integrating the UK's broad energy research community.
The web-based Energy Research Atlas will provide an authoritative account of research capabilities and unsolved research problems across the energy domain. It consists of three tools to assist stakeholders in understanding the status of UK energy R&D, and identifying key research challenges:
The Landscape section provides a comprehensive account of competencies and publicly funded programmes in energy research, development and demonstration in the UK. H2NET has assisted in the drafting of the Hydrogen Energy Landscape document and members were given the opportunity to contribute to the document via the H2NET web-site.
The Research Register allows online searches to be carried out on a comprehensive list of all publicly funded energy R&D projects.
The Roadmaps section characterises existing UK energy technology roadmaps which will form the foundations for a future road-mapping exercise.
DTI Hydrogen and Fuel Cell, Carbon Abatement Technologies (HFCCAT) Demonstration Launch Event
A reminder that the first call for the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell, Carbon Abatement Technologies (HFCCAT) Demonstration Programme is due on 23 October 2006. Funding will be available for up to 25% of total project value. The application process for the first call will be in two stages: a pre-qualification on-line questionnaire in October/November followed by a full application in January 2007. It is hoped that funding for the first projects will come through soon after April 2007. For full details see the scheme web-site linked above.
2. Future hydrogen events
The next H2NET meeting, entitled Developments in EC Hydrogen Programme and Standards & Safety, will be held at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire on 17 October 2006. The event will be co-sponsored by the UK Hydrogen Association (UKHA).
A regularly updated list of external hydrogen-related events (with additional links) is kept on the H2NET web-site at: http://www.h2net.eru.rl.ac.uk/Events/Events_external.htm. Please send notification of your future events to the H2NET coordinator (details below).
3. Funding opportunities,
Carbon Trust
Applied Research Grants (next call opens: 16 October 2006)
DTI
Priorities for the Technology Programme calls in Autumn 2006 and Spring 2007.
Hydrogen and Fuel Cell, Carbon Abatement Technologies (HFCCAT) Demonstration Programme
NEDO - Japan
Preannouncement regarding Solicitation of Proposals for FY2006 International Joint Research under the "Development for Safe Utilization and Infrastructure of Hydrogen" Project Maximum funding of 30 million yen or 150 thousand GBP is available for a period of around 1 year. Interested parties need a Japanese partner and to make a proposal in Japanese in cooperation with the partner. Japanese organisations lead the bid; once the proposal is approved, the Japanese partner concludes a contract with NEDO and then the Japanese partner concludes a contract with the foreign partner. The proposal submission period is planned from October 13 to November 27. Interested parties should inform Mr Ryozo Tanaka, the Senior Science & Innovation Officer at the British Embassy in Tokyo (Email), but please note that Mr Tanaka cannot assist directly in finding Japanese partners.
4. Useful links
UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC)
UKERC Energy Data Centre - Energy Links
UK Hydrogen Association (UKHA)
HFP search facility for European, national, and international hydrogen and fuel cell research projects: http://www.infotools.hfpeurope.org
L-B-Systemtechnik resource on current and historic hydrogen vehicles worldwide: http://www.h2mobility.org/index.html (timeline for individual transport technologies including cars, buses, ships, bikes, aircraft, railway trains, and utility vehicles).
L-B-Systemtechnik resource of hydrogen filling stations worldwide: http://www.h2stations.org.
5. The H2NET newsletter
The UK Hydrogen Energy Network (H2NET) is managed by Dr Geoff Dutton at the Energy Research Unit, CCLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
The H2NET newsletter is published monthly to complement the information available on the H2NET Internet site. Contributions, such as news items and meeting alerts, are invited from all members and should be sent to the editor, Dr Geoff Dutton (Email)
Project descriptions (1-2 pages), finished articles, or meeting reports would be particularly welcomed. The newsletter is now circulated to more than 180 H2NET members. |
