Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Research and Demonstration projects supported by DG MOVE
The European Commission has supported development of hydrogen and fuel cells since the early 1990s. Research has mainly been directed at improving performance and durability and reducing costs.
DG MOVE funded demonstrations of hydrogen technologies for stationary and transport applications in the 5th Research and Technological Development Framework Programme FP5. In the 6th Framework Programme FP6, a call under the Thematic Priority 'Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems' was launched, leading to a number of demonstration projects and the formation of an informal 'European Hydrogen for Transport Partnership'. The results of these efforts provided much input to the recently formed Public-Private-Partnership 'Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking'.
The recently completed Coordination Action 'HyLights 
' supported
technology assessment and validation and analysed policy options for promoting
hydrogen and fuel cells. It
has published handbooks for the monitoring and assessment of demonstration
projects, a study of vehicle requirements for early markets, and developed a
tool for assessing potential hydrogen demonstration sites .
The hydrogen bus demonstration projects CUTE and its
successor HyFLEET:CUTE have made major advances in proving fuel cell
and hydrogen propulsion technologies. In HyFLEET:CUTE 33 fuel cell buses and 14
internal combustion engine buses have operated in daily public service. In
total these buses have accumulated in excess of 2,5 million kilometres and
carried more than 8,5 million passengers. The new fuel cell technology has
proven to be very reliable. The project also demonstrated the next generation
fuel cell / battery hybrid bus which has reduced hydrogen consumption by half.
A turbo-charged hydrogen bus with fuel cell auxiliary power unit has also been
built and tested - resulting in significant fuel savings compared to
conventional ICEs. The project has also demonstrated hydrogen production,
distribution and refuelling infrastructure. Safety, public acceptance and
training are also important elements studied in HyFLEET:CUTE. The project achievements are summarised in the final
brochure 
.
Additional information, including presentations from the
project's final conference .
The
ZERO REGIO project is demonstrating two small fuel cell car fleets in Rhein
Main and Lombardia. Hydrogen re-fuelling infrastructure has been installed at
an open, public filling station. The project is also evaluating new components
for refuelling infrastructure, including hydrogen supply by high pressure
pipeline (1000bars), new compressor technology and 700bar on-vehicle storage.
The cars have performed very reliably and have demonstrated a much higher fuel
efficiency than that of conventional cars. The use of bi-product hydrogen from
a nearby chemical process is very cost-effective.
The HyChain Mini-Trans project is
demonstrating around 50 innovative fuel cell vehicles of different types,
including scooters, wheelchairs, cargo-bikes, small trucks and minibuses in
four European regions. The project has developed high pressure cartridge
refuelling technology. It is also investigating issues relating to safety,
standards, type approval, and market introduction for these special purpose
vehicles.