HYNET - Towards a European Hydrogen Energy Roadmap
Overview
Background & policy context:
In mid 1999 a group of companies met under the auspieces of the Chemical Industry Council CEFIC to discuss a possible cooperation for the introduction of a European hydrogen fuel infrastructure. During this meeting HyNet was established, bringing together leading companies from a broad spectrum of industries and technologies. The core group comprised Norsk Hydro, Shell Hydrogen, BP, Air Products, ICI, Dera, BMW, TotalFinaElf, EniAgip and Hydrogen Systems. Including those who expressed their interest during the HyNet launch, a total of 35-40 companies participated, the majority being large industrial.
Objectives:
- To establish a platform for industrial networking, integrating the know how and innovation potential of all players in Europe
- To provide a coherent industry voice in public and political arenas
- To support the EC establishing a suitable European R&TD Strategy
- To promote further co-operative R&TD in relation to all aspects of the hydrogen supply chain and hydrogen applications
- To establish an organisation for the advancement of hydrogen energy to create competitiveness of the European hydrogen industry at world scale
- To collect, analyse, and disseminate information on the hydrogen socio-economic and environmental effects
- To create instruments for the dissemination of hydrogen related information to experts and the public
- To participate in the development of safety and regulatory discussions
Methodology:
Major tasks of the network are to develop a well balanced European hydrogen energy infrastructure road map, an RTD strategy and the assessment of the socio-economic and political issues associated with the move towards a hydrogen based energy future. The more practical aspects are to propose large demonstration activities and joint projects to respond to the interest of the Commission for bundling the European efforts on hydrogen energy. The tasks will be developed or updated in a process of workshops over 3 years in a number of Thematic Working Groups with European experts from national governments, industry, institutes and organisations.
The following Thematic Working Groups were tentatively suggested:
- Infrastructure
- H2-production, supply, distribution, transition pathways (e.g. nodal city points, regional models, H2-corridors), storage, retail
- H2-Applications - Stationary, mobile, systems synergies - Socio-economic Effects
- Impact Analysis, economic and macro-economic effects of various hydrogen supply schemes, fuel costs - Regulatory Issues
- Political, economical, social, technical, environmental and legal regulations - Outreach, Public Acceptance
- Dissemination, communication, education
A central idea behind this structure was to incorporate the most practical approach of the Thematic Network by priorising hydrogen fuel infrastructure issues.
A special focus arises from the needs of private road transport without leaving other medium- to long-term options of hydrogen energy, e.g. stationary use in residential or industrial co-generation or other transport systems, unconsidered. Representing the views and interests of the major European drivers for a hydrogen economy, the strategy reports will be initiated by state-of-the-art evaluations to identify gaps and needs of hydrogen technologies and issues surrounding its utilisation. Mapping of EU centres of excellence and suggestions for an RTD program with milestones and demonstration programs will also be part of the reports.
The results of the process will be disseminated to experts and the public by a HyNet webpage which will comprise public and HyNet participant sections. The webpage will also be developed to foster commercial small and medium enterprises' (SME) interests in hydrogen energy via an internet industry portal (non-commercial elements of a business-to-business
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