Green campaigners call for sustainability criteria to be applied to hydrogen economy
As a source of energy from which the only waste emission is water, hydrogen is unquestionably a more environmentally friendly option that, say, diesel or natural gas. The problem, however, is that hydrogen is not a primary energy source, and therefore it must be produced using other forms of energy. If, as is most often the case today, those energy sources are fossil fuel based, then significant amounts of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide will still be released into the atmosphere during hydrogen production. On the first morning of the European hydrogen and fuel cell technology platform's (HFP) annual general assembly, keynote speeches were given and a roundtable debate held in order to analyse the prospects for the hydrogen economy and hear the views of industry, policy makers and non-governmental organisations. For Hervé Casterman, a director at Gaz de France, hydrogen powered devices have the potential to decouple primary sources of energy from everyday applications such as motor vehicles, which he described as a real revolution in itself. 'Hydrogen will accelerate the introduction of renewable energies [and] the theoretical aim is to move from fossil fuels to another system,' added Mr Casterman. However, Claude Turmes MEP, vice-chair of the Green Group in the European Parliament, accused the conference of trying to create a dangerous illusion. 'It creates the illusion that we can apply a US-style transport policy to the booming European middle classes over the next 20 years [...]. Stop creating the illusion that green hydrogen is the answer - the fact is that the renewables potential in Europe isn't high enough to support current European transport policy,' he said. Mr Turmes argued that the only way hydrogen can succeed is as part of a sustainable energy strategy that puts efficiency first. 'We need lighter cars - not cars weighing two and a half tonnes to transport people weighing 70 kilos!' he exclaimed. Mr Turmes lamented the fact that while his party is prepared to lose votes at the ballot by arguing for higher petrol prices to internalise the environmental cost of fossil fuels, other parties take the easy way out by offering the prospect of cheap, clean energy by investing billions in schemes like ITER (the international thermonuclear experimental reactor). Mr Turmes' argument was broadly supported by Oliver Rapf, senior policy officer for WWF International. Mr Rapf said there is a belief that hydrogen could help address challenges such as climate change, but argued that this can only be the case if sustainable development criteria are applied to the development of the hydrogen economy, which he accused the HFP of failing to do. 'If they did, they would not put the production of hydrogen from renewable sources and from nuclear power on the same level,' he argued. 'I appeal to you to carry out sustainable development analyses before deciding to spend taxpayers money on these areas of research and development.' For Belgian MEP Philippe Busquin, however, who was introduced as 'the father of the HFP', these considerations were secondary compared with the need to develop the hydrogen economy, which many feel is the only viable long-term alternative to fossil fuels currently available. 'We don't want to present hydrogen production in a negative political light. In the short term, we need petrochemicals to produce hydrogen, but we shouldn't just focus on that,' argued Mr Busquin. The former Commissioner called for a debate with society and national parliaments, which, he said, would be vital to ensure a favourable regulatory framework. 'We need support and incentives from national governments to push the hydrogen economy and ensure that we in Europe are at the forefront,' he added. The last word was left to the industry, represented by Carol Battershell, director of alternative fuels at BP Gas and Power. She described the debate as a good example of the process that has surrounded the HFP for the last year. 'Many opinions must be considered, and I hope this conference can do that and find a practical way forward, rather than reaching a standstill by aiming for the lowest common denominator,' Ms Battershell concluded.