A new national strategy for Danish development of hydrogen and fuel cells for transport purposes, for the period of 2008-2025, has just been published by the transport strategy group under the Danish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Partnership. The strategy points out promising focus areas, where Denmark can play an important role internationally and it prepares the ground for a combination of hydrogen, fuel cells and batteries as optimal solutions to the heavy demands the future will make on means of transport in terms of environment and resources. The strategy is also going to contribute to increased export of Danish energy technology. Allan Schrøder Pedersen from Risø DTU has been the chairman of the working group behind the strategy. The transport sector in Denmark accounts for more than 25 % of the total energy consumption and the percentage is growing. The energy consumption for transport is almost solely based on oil and accounts for 65 % of the total Danish oil consumption. If the transport sector is to help solve the climate challenges, it is necessary to develop and introduce new sustainable fuels and technologies. Hybrid systems based on fuel cells and batteries with a hydrogen infrastructure can prove important in order to obtain lower emissions of greenhouse gases and less dependency on oil in the transport sector at a global level.
In 2005, on the initiative of the Danish Energy Authority, an overall national strategy was formulated for a Danish effort leveled at research, development and demonstration of hydrogen technologies. The national strategy suggested that the Danish hydrogen and fuel cell efforts were organised in a public-private partnership with strategy groups and 5 focus areas, one of them covering the transport area. The partnership was launched in the autumn of 2006, and in January 2007 the transport strategy group was formed in order to plan and implement a development strategy for this area.
The transport strategy points out a number of areas where Denmark can play an important role and at the same time make use of the business opportunities that will grow in the future concurrently with an increasing, international demand for eco-friendly energy technologies for the transport area. Currently the market for technologies that utilise hydrogen and fuel cells for transport purposes is growing. This phase is characterised by a transition from research and development to actual competitive application of the first industrial products. Within the transport area Denmark is internationally strong when it comes to the system integration of fuel cells. In addition, competences within hydrogen infrastructure are on their way.
In the short time frame of the strategy towards 2015 there is high potential for developing and commercialising fuel cell hybrid systems for market niches like fork lift trucks, other vehicles for internal transport and for secondary power supply in vehicles. In addition to this the strategy group estimates that in this period, there may be Danish market opportunities within the development and establishment of a hydrogen infrastructure consisting of filling stations etc. that can support the market development for the early commercial vehicles.
In the long term towards 2025 a Danish positioning at the global market around 2015 can provide Danish industry with new market opportunities within fuel cell hybrid systems and hydrogen infrastructure for vehicles. This market segment can become commercial in the period towards 2025 especially if a large-scale European effort is put into the development of technology and standardisation etc.
An early creation of a Danish infrastructure to make hybrid systems for transport purposes reach the market, can prove important in order to attract international demonstration projects on hydrogen-based hybrid vehicles to Denmark. Besides a gradual construction of such an infrastructure within the next 10-20 years will facilitate the integration of ever increasing quantities of fluctuating electricity production from renewable energy sources in the Danish energy system. In this way the hydrogen and fuel cell development can contribute to realize the government’s object of at least 30 % renewable energy and a reduction in fossil fuels of 15 % by 2025.
The strategy group recommends the strongest possible co-ordination of Danish research , development and demonstration within fuel cell hybrid systems and hydrogen infrastructure and an international effort e.g. in a Nordic context and in the future DKK 3,5 billion EU Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel cells.
To see the strategy report ”Hydrogen and fuel cells for transport in Denmark - strategy 2008-2025” go to: hydrogennet.dk
Further information
Chairman of the Transport Strategy group
Allan Schrøder Pedersen
Deputy Head, Materials Research Department, Risø DTU
Tel.: 46 77 57 05
allan.schroeder.pedersen@risoe.dk
The Danish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Partnership: hydrogennet.dk
Participants in the transport strategy group
- Allan Schrøder Pedersen, Risø DTU (chairman)
- Mikael Sloth, H2 Logic A/S
- Madeleine Odgaard, IRD Fuel Cells A/S
- Michael Mücke Jensen, Danish Petroleum Industry Association
- Flemming Wennike, Region Central Jutland
- Ulf Hafseld, StatoilHydro, Norway
- Frank Elefsen, Danish Technological Institute
- Lotte Jensen-Holm, Topsoe Fuel Cell A/S
- Søren Knudsen Kær, Aalborg University
- Aksel Mortensgaard, the Danish Energy Authority
- Aksel Hauge Pedersen, DONG Energy A/S
- René Kaalø Rothmann, the Danish Energy Industries Federation
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