The safety of hydrogen, to debate in San Sebastian

Hydrogen is a source of energy future and as a solution in addition to the international Kyoto agreement to avoid the use of fossil fuels (oil, coal, etc) that caused the damages of climate change (greenhouse effect in the atmosphere) and pollute the environment. Hydrogen as a source of energy is a viable alternative to solid fuels and will be of common use in automobiles. On this basis of reality more than likely, representatives from twelve European countries have worked for three days at the headquarters of inasmet-tecnalia, in Donostia-San Sebastián, to analyse and seek solutions to the diversity of situations and needs posed by hydrogen as an energy source from the point of view of security, throughout the process of obtaining and use by the user. Defined once the diversity of situations or phase of the process or chain of hydrogen (production, transport, storage, use the "hidrogeneras" of road and vehicle) will be necessary to also define and specify the corresponding regulations to be implemented in all European countries.

With these objectives the development of the European project known as HySafe, which in its practical aspect operates as a European network of excellence to make realities solutions more complete and effective security of hydrogen is carried outOnline similar to what is happening with the use of current fossil and flammable fuels such as gasoline. Participate in the project, which will end in 2008, 25 organizations (technological centres, universities, institutions of innovation, etc) between the most relevant in Europe in the economy and technique of hydrogen as an energy source. Tecnalia energy participates in this European project by a team of Inasmet-Tecnalia. To the extent that this team also develops other applications of hydrogen, in the stages of production/generation, storage and use, it has a vision more comprehensive and concrete needs and guarantees on the security. From this point of view, the HySafe project is a synthesis or complement to the activities developed by this team of the technological centre on hydrogen as a source of energy, in a way brought with regard to their use, by fuel cellsthey convert hydrogen into electricity as the driving force of the vehicle. This project, in which both by the countries concerned and by the number and diversity of participants of the first European line gets highlighted the importance of it to meet the new needs of large extent renewable and clean energy.