NHA’s Hydrogen Implementation
Plan to be Unveiled in November
by
Karen Miller, Program Manager, National Hydrogen Association
The NHA Implementation Plan Committee has been
working for months to develop a draft NHA plan. This committee was formed
at the NHA Annual Meeting in 1998 by a resolution of the NHA Board of Directors.
Since its formation, the committee has held three meetings as it iteratively
developed the Implementation Plan (IP) with both NHA and other members of
the hydrogen community.
The IP will address how to implement the Hydrogen
Commercialization Plan (HCP). The NHA membership adopted the HCP of 1996
at the 8th Annual U.S. Hydrogen Meeting in March 1997. The HCP is a living
document.
1.2 Purpose of This Document
The purpose of this document is to provide useful
information to contributors to the IP. This includes an overview of the
actions that need to be taken by government, industry, and academic institutions
to develop an environment in which hydrogen energy systems will be commercially
successful for transportation and stationary power generation. The actions
identified should be conducted (coordinated) between government and industry,
particularly, so that a responsive business environment is created.
1.3 Approach to Preparing This Document
As part of its charter, the NHA created a committee
to develop this Implementation Plan. The committee held numerous meetings
and brainstorming sessions with its members and other hydrogen stakeholders
to discuss ways to foster commercialization of hydrogen technology in the
transportation and stationary power generation sectors. Discussions obtained
information to focus actions toward a market-driven approach to hydrogen,
thereby assuring a practical user. In addition, input was requested from
HTAP, DOE, CHBC, and key industry leaders in the hydrogen arena. The results
indicated that there are definitive steps that can be outlined for three
hydrogen-interest sectors: government, industry, and academic institutions.
Development of the IP has been discussed around
the world in several forums, ranging from hydrogen business council meetings
to WHEC to Capitol Hill. The HTAP chairman has agreed to make reference
to the IP in the HTAP report to Congress.
It was apparent from committee discussions that
recommended actions should focus on the near-term. Visible near-term actions
will further hydrogen as an energy source by demonstrating its commercial
viability and its safety. This document uses a time frame of five years,
beginning in the Year 2000, to focus actions to obtain near-term success.
The recommended actions are consolidations of
actual experiences of government, industry, and academic institutions in
furthering their efforts toward use of hydrogen as an energy source. Actions
may be recommended regardless of their resource impact, timeliness, or potential
profitability. The recommended actions are purposefully general to allow
the implementers freedom to develop an entity-specific action implementation
process.
1.4 Organization of Document
In addition to this section, the document is
organized as follows:
- Section 2.0 describes the actions that the federal, state, and local
governments should take to foster use of hydrogen as an energy source.
This includes barrier reduction, institutional level incentives, and cooperation
between government agencies.
- Section 3.0 describes the actions that the industry should take to
commercialize, qualify, certify, logistically support, and warranty hydrogen
equipment.
- Section 4.0 describes the actions that academic institutions and laboratories
should take to research and develop solutions to specific technical problems,
standardize engineering practices supporting integration, and training
the next generation of hydrogen energy engineers.
- Section 5.0 provides a summary of recommended actions over the next
five years (Year 2000 to 2004).
A draft plan has been delivered to the NHA Board
of Directors and a modified draft should be available to members soon.
©1998. All Rights Reserved. A Publication of
the National Hydrogen Association.
This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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