Hydrogen Insights | Green Energy News

November 16, 2003 – Vol.8 No.34

HYDROGEN INSIGHTS.

The Chief Executive Officer of Shell Hydrogen, Jeremy Bentham, spoke candidly this week about the prospects for hydrogen fuel cells and a hydrogen economy at the inaugural meeting of the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy in Washington, D.C.

From the Shell Hydrogen press release (with this editor’s comments) Mr. Bentham noted that...

... Shell Hydrogen estimates show that an initial investment required to supply just 2 percent of the cars in Europe alone with hydrogen by 2020 would be some $20 billion.

(Shell obviously would want to mimic its gasoline infrastructure with hydrogen, but may also be including hydrogen home fueling in this estimate.)

...development of a hydrogen economy would require breakthroughs to make the technology affordable.

(Fuel cell vehicles will have to compete in price with conventional, even hybrid vehicles. )

... government action to stimulate development and mitigate early commercial risk (would be needed).

(Government mandate to drastically reduce vehicle emissions would certainly force fuel cell/hydrogen economy development. But also tax or other government financial help would be necessary, according to this statement. Shell and others won’t make the investment without some guarantee that people will buy hydrogen vehicles, nor build the infrastructure without government help.)

... With water the only local emission of fuel cell vehicles, hydrogen has enormous potential to deliver public benefits. However consumers will also need to be convinced of the individual benefits fuel cell vehicles offer including a smoother, quieter ride, better acceleration, lower maintenance, ample electric power for increasing in-car applications and increased and more flexible internal space.

( In addition, the fuel cell in the vehicle could act as a power generator for the owner’s home. The electric drive would also allow self-parallel-parking-technology as now available with the 2004 Prius in Japanese markets, for instance.)

For the full text of this press release visit Shell Hydrogen at http://www.shell.com/hydrogen