Hydrogen for Clean Transport Conference brings together manufacturers and alternative- fuel providers to cement industry-wide move toward zero-emission transport

Brussels – 22 September 2017: Today, leaders of the industry are confirming their commitment to expanding the deployment of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure across Europe. Global vehicle manufacturers – including Audi, BMW, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai, Symbio and Toyota – as well as leading hydrogen refuelling infrastructure providers, are gathering at the Hydrogen for Clean Transport conference to discuss and debate hydrogen-based solutions towards a zero emission transport sector in Europe by 2040. The event aims to raise awareness among policy makers and other stakeholders of the role to be played by hydrogen mobility alongside full battery electric vehicles in achieving our zero emission future.

The conference, sponsored by the Fuel Cells & Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) and flagship hydrogen projects HyFIVE and H2ME, is a first for Europe’s transport industry. As more European countries move toward partial or complete bans on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies are seen as an increasingly important component of the future mix of vehicles on Europe’s roads. The companies present at the event support development of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles as a viable alternative to diesel and a complement to full battery electric powertrains.

The message delivered by the industry at the conference today is clear: hydrogen fuel cells plus electric-vehicle technology offer a viable path to zero emission transport and, as part of the wider energy system, support grid operations and integration of renewable energies. Highlighting the variety of FCEVs available now and in the near future, these companies are making the case that while hydrogen fuel cell technology is not yet available across a large range of vehicle offerings, the technology addresses some of battery electric vehicles’ main

limitations. These include drain on the energy grid, limited range, long charging time, and issues with recycling of batteries.

The conference also highlights the progress of major FCEV deployment efforts and a Europe-wide collaboration to put more hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on European roads.

The unique framework of the FCH JU has allowed the collaboration of all major vehicle OEMs under the HyFIVE and H2ME projects, alongside refuelling solution providers, research institutes and public authorities. HyFIVE successfully developed a hydrogen network within three clusters: London, Copenhagen and a southern area comprising Innsbruck, Munich, Stuttgart and Bolzano. H2ME expanded this collaboration to 12 European countries (the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Belgium, Austria, Italy, and Luxembourg) to give FCEV drivers access to the first truly pan-European network of hydrogen refuelling stations.

Bart Biebuyck, Executive Director of the European Commission’s FCH JU, said: “This marks an important step for clean mobility in Europe. The presence of seven important manufacturers translates to a strong commitment from industry, which is a crucial element to push forward with the deployment of hydrogen vehicles. The FCH JU is proud to see how its projects, HyFIVE and then H2ME, have been allowed to build continuously on previous achievements and are bringing technological progress to become key solutions for addressing zero emission transport goals. In this way, we contribute to tackling major global challenges”.

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, Secretary General at Hydrogen Europe, said: “The Hydrogen for Clean Transport conference is timely, with the release of crucial sets of legislation for the mobility sector this autumn. With this conference, our industry members showcase the readiness level of fuel cell electric vehicles as a complementary solution to battery electric vehicles, the only two zero emission drivetrains that enable transport decarbonisation.”

About Hydrogen for Clean Transport

Hydrogen for Clean Transport is an event dedicated to presenting hydrogen technology as a zero-emission solution for the transport sector.

Following recent announcements in countries across Europe to ban petrol and diesel cars by 2040, and the challenges for electric vehicles to fully meet the needs of tomorrow’s transportation and energy systems, hydrogen is presented as a parallel solution for decarbonising the transport sector.

For the first time, seven major global vehicle manufacturers – Audi, BMW, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai, Symbio, and Toyota – have come together in Brussels to confirm their engagement towards continued FCEV deployment in Europe.

Hydrogen for Clean Transport showcases the advances made by hydrogen technology in the transport sector, particularly focusing on passenger cars and vans, and outlines solutions to overcome the remaining challenges to widespread commercialisation by 2025.

This event is a partnership between the European Commission’s Fuel Cells & Hydrogen Joint Undertaking and flagship hydrogen projects HyFIVE and H2ME.

Please find the full agenda for the event via this link. About HyFIVE

HyFIVE is a flagship European project that has deployed 185 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) from five leading global automotive companies: BMW, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota.

These vehicles have different maturity levels, from prototype level up to commercial production, with performance characteristics and cost reduction targets that have led to a plausible offering for early-adopting customers.

Six hydrogen refuelling stations (HRSs) were deployed to integrate an existing 12, implementing an interoperable network of FCEVs and HRSs in the UK, Denmark, Germany, Italy and Austria by Air Products, Danish Hydrogen Fuel, ITM Power, Linde and OMV. The project’s scale and pan-European breadth will allow it to tackle all of the final technical and social issues preventing the commercial roll-out of hydrogen vehicles and refuelling infrastructure across Europe.

HyFIVE’s website will be updated with public reports and results of its activities by summer 2018.

About H2ME

H2ME combines Europe’s leading initiatives on hydrogen mobility (in Germany, France, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and the UK), removing market barriers to create a truly pan- European hydrogen network and a united deployment strategy. The project will provide a unique opportunity for these major initiatives to harmonise their strategies for the first time and significantly expand Europe’s hydrogen vehicle and station network.

H2ME is the largest demonstration project to date, testing different strategies and the latest technology from leading car OEMs of the sector (Daimler, Symbio FCell, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota) and Hydrogen Refuelling Station providers (AGA, Air Liquide, AREVA H2Gen, BOC, CNR, Danish Hydrogen Fuel, GNVERT, H2 Logic, H2 Mobility Deutschland, Hydrogene de

France, HYOP, Islenska Vetnisfelagid, ITM Power, Linde, McPhy Energy). The project will also test electrolyser technology in refuelling stations and provide valuable insight into the role of hydrogen in providing the solution for an emission-free European transport network. H2ME will launch more than 45 stations and over 1,400 vehicles across 10 countries throughout the course of the project. It will also demonstrate the breadth and depth of the commitment to hydrogen-fuelled road transport as a pan-European solution to the need for viable, competitive alternatives to fossil fuels.

About the FCH JU

The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) is a unique public-private partnership supporting research, technological development and demonstration activities in fuel cell and hydrogen energy technologies in Europe. Its aim is to accelerate the market introduction of these technologies, realising their potential as an instrument in achieving a carbon-lean energy system.

The three members of the FCH JU are the European commission; the fuel cell and hydrogen industries, represented by the NEW industry grouping; and the research community, represented by research grouping N.ERGHY.

This project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 621219, No 671438 and No 700350. This joint undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Hydrogen Europe, and the New European Research Grouping on Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (“N.ERGHY”).

Cenex

Sue Glanville / Cate Bonthuys
Catalyst Communications
Tel: +44 (0)771 581 7589 / +44 (0)774 654 6773 sue@catalystcomms.co.uk / cate@catalystcomms.co.uk