The EU aims to replace 20 per cent of vehicle fuels with hydrogen fuel-cells by 2020, according to a European Commission report. Hydrogen and Fuel Cellsenvisages the replacement of petrol and diesel with hydrogen, which produces electricity and heat by combining hydrogen and oxygen, with water vapour as its only by-product.
A series of EU initiatives aims for considerable cost reductions for the production, improved performance and durability of the cells.
World energy demand, says the report, is forecast to grow at 1.8 per cent per year for the period 2000-2030, requiring a rise in oil production from the current 80 million to 125 million barrels a day. This level, it says, is unsustainable without major new reserves. The only realistic scenario, it adds, is other fuels.
The report calls for key players in the industry to come together to create a hydrogen and fuel-cell technology strategy for Europe by 2006, providing the basis for an effective public-private business partnership to identify priorities. The group should also set realistic deadlines for the transition to a hydrogen-based economy. Initial estimates put this at 20 years.
Two-year trials of 30 fuel-cell city buses have already started in 10 European cities including London, Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Stockholm.
The buses, developed by Mercedes-Benz, are similar to standard diesel Citaro buses; their fuel-cell systems housed on the roof. The fuel cell provides more than 200 kW of electrical power, delivering acceleration performance comparable to diesel engines.
Meanwhile, the EU and the US have agreed to share research findings in fuel-cell technology. Speaking at the signing of the agreement, European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin said current research into alternative fuels was too piecemeal. "We need a consistent approach at European level to reach a technological and economic break-even point in hydrogen take-up," he said.
The world's first fuel cell car rally will be held this weekend in Japan. There are three entrants - from Japan, Canada and China -, in a race normally restricted to solar-powered vehicles.