MEPs call for EU leadership on hydrogen vision

MEPs are calling for Europe-wide political leadership to wean the EU off fossil fuel technology and make the creation of a hydrogen economy the EU’s next “big” political project.

The cross-party group of MEPs said on Wednesday that they wanted to see a commitment to developing a European hydrogen economy included in next year’s declaration celebrating the EU’s 50th birthday.

“Fifty years on from the Rome treaty, we need a new big project,” German deputy Jo Leinen told journalists during a press conference marking the parliament’s green hydrogen manifesto one year anniversary..

“Europe started with energy projects; the coal and steel and Euratom agreements.  Now we have to look forward. Hydrogen is a key technology and it could become the project of the future for the EU.”

Leinen said that the EU was spending €100m a year less than its nearest competitors on hydrogen research and that developing and promoting the technology should be a priority in the EU’s upcoming Seventh research framework programme.

“We have got to make sure the EU is on an equal footing so that the key technologies can be developed in Europe.”

With EU leaders facing real problems over future energy supplies, Europe’s citizens are ready for a new energy policy, suggested Leinen. “The ground has been levelled.”

“But political visionaries are thin on the ground at the moment,” he added.

Former EU research commissioner Philippe Busquin agreed that the development of a hydrogen economy had to be a political project for Europe and should be supported in the seventh framework programme and included in next year's 50th birthday declaration.

“We need to get the message across, we need a real debate.  Hydrogen has a role to play.”

But Busquin disagreed with Leinen over the lack of EU vision, highlighting the work of the European hydrogen and fuel cell technology platform, meeting in Brussels this week.

Wednesday’s call for EU leadership, one year after the launch of an MEP manifesto on the benefits of a hydrogen economy, was timed to “give political support to the initiatives of the technology platform for hydrogen,” said Italian deputy Vittorio Prodi.

“We also aim to reconfirm the European parliament’s commitment for the implementation of a hydrogen society vision.”

And advisor on hydrogen to former European commission president Romano Prodi, Jeremy Rifkin predicted that the development of hydrogen storage techniques, fuel cells and ‘smart’ electricity grids would provide the EU with “an exit strategy from oil [dependence].”

“The next step for Europe is a new energy regime…it’s an opportunity to create a third industrial revolution.”

This revolution would be based on harnessing Europe’s disparate renewable energy resources, with hydrogen as the universal storage medium, said Rifkin.

Hydrogen technology, crossed with fuel cell efficiency and smart grids, would help jumpstart the EU’s Lisbon strategy and Kyoto commitments, said Rifkin.

And backed up by Busquin, Rifkin dismissed suggestions that future hydrogen production would be based on fossil fuel or nuclear power.

The author of the bestselling book “The hydrogen economy” said that the EU had “to move away from old centralised energy systems.”

“[Hydrogen] fuel cells are two and a half times more efficient than the internal combustion engine…Europe is known as a leader in sustainability… now it’s time to walk the walk.”

Meanwhile EU research commissioner Janez Potocnik attended the opening of an exhibition in Brussels on hydrogen technology.

Organisers, the European hydrogen and fuel cell technology platform, say the three day event will showcase the latest developments in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

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