The European Parliament strengthens the second Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative. Over the next seven years, the hydrogen and fuel cell sector will be a major focus of public-private investment.
Last April, the European Parliament approved the Innovation Investment Package budget, committing a total of €22,000 M for investment in the future of Europe (2014-2020). This package incluyes six Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs) as well as other joint initiatives.
JTIs are the tools chosen by Europe to coordinate public-private collaboration in different fields of innovation. The good results achieved in the Seventh Framework Program (2007-2013) under the JTI format, have encouraged repetition of this mechanism over the next seven years.
The aforesaid framework program featured a European contribution of just over €3,000 M, combined with industrial funding of nearly €5,000 M. A total of 663 projects, involving more than 5,000 participants, were funded. The new JTIs are even more ambitious. They bring together, under the umbrella of the Horizon 2020 goals, both public and private entities, and will mobilize some €17,000 M, of which about 40 % will come from European budgets.
Thus, a new era for Fuel Cell and Hydrogen JTIs, where Abengoa Hidrógeno participates as a founding member of the industrial consortium, has begun. This
stage will especially promote rollout of the technologies closest to market, including fuel cell based cogeneration, such as the plant Abengoa Hidrógeno is constructing in Seville.
Source: Abengoa
