A European coalition has launched the Hydrogen Mobility Europe project (H2ME) with the aim of making hydrogen-fuelled transport a reality in Europe.
H2ME is co-funded with €32 million (£24 million) from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU).
The project will support the deployment of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) and Hydrogen Refuelling Stations (HRS) across Europe.
H2ME is the largest European project in this sector and is based on the alliance of the four most ambitious hydrogen mobility initiatives in Europe: H2 MOBILITY Deutschland, Mobilité Hydrogène France, Scandinavian Hydrogen Highway Partnership and UK H2 Mobility. They will now be working together to develop hydrogen-fuelled transport.
Under H2ME, they will deploy 200 FCEVs, 125 fuel cell range-extended electric (FC RE-EVs) commercial vans and 29 new HRSs in 10 countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK) by 2019.
This plan ties in with existing national level initiatives for the roll-out of a large scale hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, aimed at enabling Europe wide emission-free driving.
The consortium, led by Element Energy, brings together global leaders in the hydrogen and fuel cell sector including fuel cell and car manufacturers, infrastructure providers and data monitoring and dissemination organisations.
The original agreements for the project were signed in July this year and the project has already delivered the first vehicles to customers in France and Germany.
Bert De Colvenaer, executive director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, said: 'To bring Fuel Cell and Hydrogen technology to the point of market readiness does require Europe wide coordination and financial support for the first movers.
'The joint undertaking is, therefore, keen and happy to support the implementation of this important project as part of the early Europe wide deployment of Fuel Cell Hydrogen vehicles, thereby showcasing the full potential of this European Public Private Partnership.'
