|
Hydrogen successful in Europe
Number of members of the European Hydrogen Association (EHA) increasing
Hydrogen energy gets more and more in the focus of European politics. At the same time the general public pays more attention to it. The European Hydrogen Association (EHA) takes part in both developments. This became apparent at the Annual Meeting held on 1. June in Brussels.
Since the 2003 Annual meeting which was held in Utrecht (The Netherlands) the national hydrogen organizations of Spain, Bulgaria, Italy, and Norway have joined the European association. And there is a prospect for further growth: there are good contacts to the respective bodies in Iceland, Switzerland, Portugal, and the Netherlands. EHA also promotes the formation of such organizations in countries where they not exist yet; some of these countries are the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Belgium.
The Technology Platform which was launched by the European Commission at the start of this year is of high significance for the field. EHA and its member bodies participate in it by its representatives in many places. EHA chairman Lars Sjunnesson is member of the Advisory Council, the central steering committee of the platform. Romano Prodi, outgoing president of the European Commission, is a great protagonist of hydrogen and fuel cells. EHA is firmly convinced, however, that the personal changes in Brussels after the European elections will have little effect because the importance of the field is not due to the personal preferences of certain politicians but because it is an important tool to guarantee our future.
One central task of the immediate future will be the further integration of the interested parties in Europe. Most important is a stronger cooperation between national associations and the industry. The field needs the contributions from both sides to be adequately represented in the public and towards politics.
Next year the association will again invite to the European Hydrogen Energy Conference (EHEC). It will be organized by the Spanish member body and will be held from 15. to 18. November 2005 in Zaragoza. The success of the first EHEC in September 2003 in Grenoble was very convincing.
EHA is also involved in the preparations for the 16. World Hydrogen Energy Conference which is organized by the French member body and will be held from 13. to 16. June 2006 in Lyon. This will be the first time this conference is in Europe again after being held in Stuttgart (Germany) in 1996.
Published by the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (DWV), Berlin
V. i. S. d. P.: Dr. Ulrich Schmidtchen, Berlin
|
