Oil Majors, Car Makers Push Hydrogen Technology

January 31st, 2017 by Fiedler Group

Earlier this month in Switzerland, leaders from many of the world’s major oil firms and automakers agreed to strive for greater global use and bigger investments in using hydrogen to help reduce emissions and impact global warming.

In a written statement, the participants stated “In this context, we are convinced that the unique contribution that hydrogen solutions offer needs to be strongly reaffirmed now”.

The participants, which included oil firms Total and Royal Dutch Shell, and auto manufactures BMW, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai, Kawasaki and Toyota, and engineering firms Engie, Linde and Air Liquide, further noted Hydrogen does not release any CO2 at the point of use and its technologies and products have progressed significantly.

The groups’ goal is to accelerate investment in developing and commercializing the hydrogen sector.

Benoit Potier, head of Air Liquide, was quoted saying “We need governments to back hydrogen with actions of their own – for example through large scale infrastructure investment schemes”.

Potier further noted, “We are not trying to bring hydrogen only to cars or trains. We are trying to bring a systemic approach. Hydrogen can generate power, produce heat and it is close to the chemical industry. And it is the most abundant element in the universe,”

Shell chief, Ben van Beurden, noted that although Shell started in the hydrogen business 20 years ago, Shell has only five hydrogen refueling stations in Germany and three in California in operation today.

Remarking on the slow development, he said “You need a coordinated approach to make it work. Hopefully, we can have hundreds (of stations)”.

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