Introduction
Conclusions
EUROPEAN UNIONEnergy supply is a major concern for the European Union. Unlike the United States, Europe’s only major internal oil source comes from North Sea, which only provides 25% of Europe’s oil consumption. Most of the remaining 75% comes from the Middle East. It is estimated that in 2020, about 85% of the oil will be imported as the production in the North Sea peaks [1]. Understanding the need to develop alternatives when global oil reserves do drop, the European Union, in 2003, joined the United States in a coordinated effort to accelerate the development of a hydrogen economy. The European Union’s existence as a loose composition of diverse states serves as both an advantage and a disadvantage. Consisting of so many of the world’s most affluent and developed nations, the EU benefits by absorbing the technological prowess of its constituents. However, because research and development among the various nations are not integrated, there needs to be a transnational effort to coordinate the work done among the different nations.
World's largest hydrogen filling station open in November 2004 in Berlin, Germany
The EU Road Map
In trying to resolve these issues, the European Union, under the leadership of Loyola de Palacio, Vice President of the European Commission and Philippe Busquin, Commissioner for Research, created the European Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Platform in 2003, a forum for EU Member States to coordinate national research activities in this field. To achieve the vision of this platform, a total of 300 million euros, from both private and public investment, has been contributed to the “Quick Start” initiative whose goal is to organize partnerships between government and private research groups to accelerate the commercialization of hydrogen technologies during the next decades [2].
The “Quick Start” initiative is part of a larger European roadmap for hydrogen and fuel cells. For the short term plans for 2010, the European Union plans to intensify the use of renewable energy sources, improve the efficiency of fossil-based liquid technologies, increase the use of synthetic liquid fuels produced from natural gas and biomass and introduce early applications for hydrogen and fuel cells. For 2020, the road map hopes to continue increasing the use of liquid fuels from biomass, continue using fossil-based liquid and gaseous fuels in fuel cells directly and to develop and implement systems for hydrogen production from renewable electricity. Beyond 2020, the road map plans to meet new energy demands with hydrogen as an energy carrier, replacing carbon-based energy carriers and expanding hydrogen distribution networks [1].
Through this road map, it is projected that by 2020, 2% of the cars will be hydrogen powered. That number is estimated to increase to 15% by 2030 and 32% by 2040. This transition to hydrogen powered vehicles is estimated to avoide 240 MT of carbon dioxide by the year 2040.
Finally, some European countries are investigating ways to adapt current infrastrucutre for a future hydrogen economy. An example is Denmark which is transforming its existing natural-gas pipeline for hydrogen distribution.
EU projections for carbon dioxide reductions with a fuel-cell vehicles.Sources
