The Clean Energy Partnership is presenting its fleet of vehicles at the UN Climate Change Conference holding next week in Bonn, Germany. The partnership will also provide information on present status of hydrogen mobility and its potential as a key component in an energy and transport revolution – because hydrogen-powered electric vehicles support the UN goals for the decarbonisation of transport.
The shared goal of the 197 Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is to stabilise the climate system by stabilising greenhouse gas concentrations at a level which would avoid the worst climate impacts. The resulting necessity to successfully transition to green energy is particularly relevant for the transport sector: one of the largest emitters, transport is responsible for 23% of global CO2 emissions. At the same time, the volume of traffic is steadily increasing worldwide. There is an urgent need to continuously reduce the use of fossil fuels in transport. Governments and business have great hopes in the potential of new technologies, which in combination with renewable fuels will enable efficient, environmentally friendly mobility.
Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said: “Emissions from transportation are one of the key challenges facing governments as they work towards national and international action in support of the new UN Paris climate agreement. Showcasing the next generation of alternatively-powered vehicles underlines how fast technology and solutions are moving, delivering ever more opportunities for fast-forwarding the ambition needed to keep a global temperature rise well under 2 degrees Celsius.”
The Clean Energy Partnership is dedicated to developing hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicles, the requisite infrastructure, and ‘green’ production of hydrogen, in an integrative approach that includes linking the energy and transport sectors as a basis for the sensible use of renewable fuels. Hydrogen, used as an energy source and storage medium, provides a sustainable solution to the challenges of the energy revolution. Under the auspices of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport, the CEP currently unites 20 industrial partners, who are all working to meet German and EU climate protection targets. This makes the Clean Energy Partnership Europe’s largest demonstration project in the field of hydrogen mobility – and it has already achieved some major successes. For example, the suitability of hydrogen as a fuel for daily use is now considered proven. Now the partners are demonstrating how hydrogen-powered electric vehicles can be used in individual and public transport to support a sustainable transport strategy.
The Climate Change Conference in Bonn from May 16th to 26th will be attended by an estimated 1,500 delegates and representatives of numerous NGOs. It is tasked with preparing resolutions for the subsequent conference in Marrakesh in November. During the conference, the Clean Energy Partnership will present the state of hydrogen and fuel-cell technology, and demonstrate their potential for the decarbonisation of transport.
On May 16th and 17th, CEP staff at a stand in the conference building will provide information about the technology, and the national strategy for establishing a hydrogen-powered transport and energy revolution. Also on May 16 and 17, fuel cell vehicles will be available for test drives outside the conference centre. During the ‘Ride & Drive’, delegates and visitors can experience hydrogen mobility and get to know the drive of the future at first hand, accompanied by an expert.
On 23 May 2016, the Chairman of the Clean Energy Partnership Thomas Bystry and Dr. Stephan Herbst, from Toyota Motor Europe will participate in the Technical Expert Meeting on Mitigation and take a position on the potential of hydrogen-based mobility for a low-carbon transport and energy policy.
The Clean Energy Partnership – an alliance of 20 leading companies – has set itself the goal of establishing hydrogen as the ‘fuel of the future’. With Air Liquide, BMW, Bohlen & Doyen, Daimler, EnBW, Ford, GM/Opel, H2 Mobility, Hamburger Hochbahn, Honda, Hyundai, Linde, OMV, Shell, Siemens, Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen SSB, Total, Toyota, Volkswagen and Westfalen as its partners, the ground-breaking future project includes technology, oil and utility companies as well as most German car manufacturers and two leading public transport companies. Germany’s National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP) has sponsored the CEP since 2008. It is coordinated by the National Organisation for Hydrogen and Fuelcell Technology (NOW).
