Brussels, 25/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - The introduction of hydrogen into the energy system could reduce the total consumption of petrol in road transport by 40% between now and 2050. This was concluded on Monday 25 February by an assessment report carried out as part of a scientific project- the HyWays project, which is funded by the research programme of the EU.
The HyWays project, which involves the public and private sectors of 10 countries of Europe, has produced a report which analyses the potential impact on the economy, society and the environment of the EU, by the wide-scale use of hydrogen, in both the short and long terms. “Hydrogen is one of the most realistic options for environmental and economic sustainability in the transport sector, in particular passenger transport, light duty vehicles and city buses”, states the report. However, mention is made of the fact that this form of energy cannot be used immediately, given the economic, technological and institutional obstacles to be overcome. The transition period will give Europe the opportunity to take the lead in developing the hydrogen sector, fuel cell technology and their application in transport and energy provision, the report stresses. “The challenges are high and the right steps need to be taken quickly if Europe is not to count the cost of late market entry”, it recommends. The HyWays project has in fact produced a road map based on the analysis of the national situations in nine countries of the EU (plus Norway), and an action plan indicating measures to be taken to increase the use of hydrogen. The project includes detailed simulations, to conclude, for example, that the viability threshold for the production of hydrogen will be attained between 2025 and 2035. The study predicts that in 2030, there will be 16 million hydrogen-powered cars, and that the total cumulative investment in infrastructure will represent some 60 billion EUR. The study also looks at different possible hydrogen production methods and sounds out differing attitudes in the EU. All countries which took part in the study chose to produce hydrogen from natural gas, biomass and wind power. Nuclear energy is considered an option in France, Finland, Spain, Poland and the United Kingdom, whereas the use of coal has been ruled out in Finland, France and Norway. The report also shows that producing hydrogen from fossil fuels, using carbon trapping and storage techniques, may have a significant contribution to make the reduction of CO2 emissions. For more information: http: //ec.europa.eu/research/energy/nn/nn_pu/hyways/article_0001_en.htm (B.C.)