Fuel cells - the energy of the future?
9 May 2000 - 9 May 2000
A conference on fuel cell research funded by the European Union will take place in Brussels on 29 and 30 May. It will bring representatives from research and industry together with key figures from the European Institutions including Research Commissioner, Mr Philippe Busquin, and Ms Eryl McNally, a member of the European Parliament's Committee for industry, external trade, research and energy.
The conference will present state of the art fuel cell research and its broader applications. It will also act as a forum to explain and put into context Commissioner Busquin's concept of a European Research Area. Addressing the conference on 29 May 2000, Commissioner Busquin will position the role of European research in relation to the conclusion of the Lisbon summit of 23 and 24 March 2000.
'Fuel cells are expected to play a major role in any future sustainable energy supply,' says the Commission. 'In the long term, fuel cells may replace a large part of the current combustion systems in all end use sectors. Fuel cells can make major contributions toward achieving key EU objectives including energy savings, reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and other pollutants, diversification of energy supply, and an overall sustainable development.'
The conference also plans to:
- map out fuel cell research activities in EU Member States;
- promote closer collaboration between national and European fuel cell research by setting up networks on important topics in this field;
- serve as a meeting place allowing the preparation of collaborative projects under EU energy research programmes.
Particular attention will be given to aspects related to the comparison and benchmarking of research results obtained at national level, and the exploitation of results through R&D partnerships between researchers and interested industrialists and investors.
Additionally, the European Commission hopes the conference will provide a platform for exploring and clarifying possible collaborations with the USA on fuel cell research.
'This possibility now exists due to the framework agreement on EU-US RTD cooperation signed in December 1997, and an implementing arrangement between the European Communities and the US department of energy for cooperation in the field of energy RTD, which is currently being prepared,' says the Commission.
The conference programme is available from:
URL: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/press/2000/pr0505en.html(opens in new window)
The conference will present state of the art fuel cell research and its broader applications. It will also act as a forum to explain and put into context Commissioner Busquin's concept of a European Research Area. Addressing the conference on 29 May 2000, Commissioner Busquin will position the role of European research in relation to the conclusion of the Lisbon summit of 23 and 24 March 2000.
'Fuel cells are expected to play a major role in any future sustainable energy supply,' says the Commission. 'In the long term, fuel cells may replace a large part of the current combustion systems in all end use sectors. Fuel cells can make major contributions toward achieving key EU objectives including energy savings, reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and other pollutants, diversification of energy supply, and an overall sustainable development.'
The conference also plans to:
- map out fuel cell research activities in EU Member States;
- promote closer collaboration between national and European fuel cell research by setting up networks on important topics in this field;
- serve as a meeting place allowing the preparation of collaborative projects under EU energy research programmes.
Particular attention will be given to aspects related to the comparison and benchmarking of research results obtained at national level, and the exploitation of results through R&D partnerships between researchers and interested industrialists and investors.
Additionally, the European Commission hopes the conference will provide a platform for exploring and clarifying possible collaborations with the USA on fuel cell research.
'This possibility now exists due to the framework agreement on EU-US RTD cooperation signed in December 1997, and an implementing arrangement between the European Communities and the US department of energy for cooperation in the field of energy RTD, which is currently being prepared,' says the Commission.
The conference programme is available from:
URL: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/press/2000/pr0505en.html(opens in new window)