Industry
Outlines Steps for a European Hydrogen Infrastructure
Energy
companies and vehicle manufacturers position themselves for
success
Brussels
- Today, the energy companies Shell Hydrogen B.V. and Total
France, along with the vehicle manufacturers BMW Group,
DaimlerChrysler AG, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Europe
AG, MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG and Volkswagen AG announce their joint
approach to advance hydrogen as a fuel for road transport in
Europe.
Hydrogen
and fuel cell technology will bring significant change in the
way Europe produces and uses energy. While the public and
private sectors already agreed that so-called Lighthouse
Projects, integrating all aspects of hydrogen production,
distribution and use, are the necessary next step, the group of
energy companies and vehicle manufacturers believe that now is
the time to move forward. In a common position paper, the
companies have defined a near and mid term action plan to pave
the way for the introduction of hydrogen-based mobility in
Europe.
The
companies are together convinced that a joint approach between
energy companies and vehicle manufacturers is an excellent means
to bridge the gap between the present individual demonstration
activities and future commercially available hydrogen vehicles
including the corresponding refueling infrastructure.
While
each company is pursuing its own specific timelines, the group
has commonly identified key phases over the next decade,
comprising continuous technology development and cost reduction,
pre-commercial technology refinement and market preparation,
with commercialisation of hydrogen powered vehicles potentially
starting around 2015.
The
companies have identified a number of criteria for the
implementation of Lighthouse Projects in Europe. A key priority
moving forward is to concentrate efforts on a focused region for
passenger cars, leveraging all resources in order to maximize
learnings. Based on these requirements, the group sees these
Lighthouse Projects initially rolling out in Berlin for cars and
city buses, and in additional selected cities and regions for
city buses. All lessons learned will be shared across all
regions, as will continuing education and outreach.
Implementing
next steps requires contributions from all public and private
stakeholders involved in hydrogen and fuel cell technology.
Therefore, the group is happy to welcome the engagement and
contribution of additional companies as this initiative moves
forward.
