Page 8 - European Energy Innovation - autumn 2019 publication

8 Autumn 2019 European Energy Innovation
FUEL CELLS

Fuel cells and hydrogen (FCH)
technologies in Europe:
Looking towards 2020

The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) has achieved a lot in the eleven years since
its inception, as it strives to make hydrogen and fuel cell products an everyday reality in Europe.
The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen
Joint Undertaking (FCH European leadership at peak rates. Such projects give
JU) is a public-private The Paris Agreement creates the opportunity for the European
partnership with a focused opportunities to drive research electrolyser industry to develop
and innovation in renewable and to build equipment that meets

objective: to bring European energy, energy efficiency and other the strict standards of the refining

Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (FCH) low carbon technologies. In our industry. They will help reducing

technologies to the point of market partnership, the research excellence the CO2 footprint of large industrial
readiness by 2020. To develop clean, of our projects has led to industry processes through the production of

efficient and affordable solutions for innovation and growth. green hydrogen.

our energy and transport systems,

the partnership has invested in total For example, Europe is the becoming For the EU to maintain and exploit its

€1.73 billion1, with some 246 hydrogen world’s leader in innovative advantage in clean energy technology,

demonstration projects benefitting electrolyser technologies, thanks in it will need to further support start-

from EU funding since the Joint part to the pivotal role of the FCH ups and investors to take innovations

Undertaking was launched more than JU in supporting the development to the market. The FCH JU is helping

ten years ago. of cutting-edge research projects SMEs involved in the development

in the field. The capacity of the of FCH technologies to create and

Market uptake from public electrolysers has increased from market cutting-edge green solutions.

authorities, major companies 100kW, with project Don Quichote in

and citizens alike has boosted 2011, to 6MW in the 2016 H2FUTURE Hydrogen driving regions growth
confidence in these clean project and we will not stop there. Not only hydrogen is one of the

technologies, establishing hydrogen Scaling up is key in all our activities. best technologies to decarbonise

as a cornerstone of Europe’s energy In July 2019, construction has transportation, providing an attractive

transition. The Hydrogen Europe started on the world’s largest PEM alternative to many cities and regions

Roadmap shows that hydrogen can electrolyser – a 10MW one – at the struggling to combat air pollution, but

contribute towards 24% of final Shell Rheinland refinery in Germany investing in fuel cell and hydrogen

energy demand, reduce 650 million (through the REFHYNE project). The technology pays off, as it provides a

tonnes of CO2 and create 5.4 million plant will produce up to 1,300 tonnes mature, safe and competitive zero-
jobs in Europe. of hydrogen per year when operating emission solution for all their energy

needs. In the past years, we looked

at developing and implementing

an integrated approach for the

ramp up of hydrogen in different

European regions (“the hydrogen

valleys”). By linking individual

projects and developing local

hydrogen infrastructure, establishing

Hydrogen Valleys represents the next

development stage towards a local

hydrogen economy in the long term.

FCH technology is the only option

available today to store renewable

energy on a large scale and use it for

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