Working across project and programme lines to ensure hydrogen is at the forefront of Europe's Transport
In a recent blog post Interreg North Sea Region wrote about the importance of working with other projects. Below is a list of a few select examples of HyTrEc2 sharing:
HyTrEc2 have built-up a good working relationship with the FCH JU JIVE project. HyTrEc2 partners Aberdeen and Drenthe are indeed also partners in the FCH JU project. As both HyTrEc2 and JIVE are aiming to increase the amount of hydrogen vehicles on the roads in their partner Cities, it is obvious there is a great deal of cross-over interests. Both HyTrEc2 and JIVE require a hydrogen supply; a trustworthy manufacturer of specialist hydrogen transport; a trained pool of technicians and engineers; and a public awareness of hydrogen.
In Aberdeen, all of the projects' joint requirements were taken advantage of in the autumn of 2020. With the arrival of the World's First double-decker hydrogen bus via the JIVE project, a significant degree of training was required for the bus operator, First. The project needed driver training, high voltage training, electrical training, and fuel cell training. HyTrEc2 worked with the JIVE project to ensure that a lecturer at the local technical college was able to attend all of these session, thus helping to inform future hydrogen training modules.
"The training course was very informative and was fantastic to be there. I have made excellent links with Wright bus, First bus and Ballard. I am hoping to have a good working relationship with First bus when it comes to servicing the Hydrogen fuel cell (HFC), at each of the servicing intervals. I am also arranging visits with students from NESCol to explore this possibility. I would like students to experience the way forward with alternative fuels in Aberdeen and the drive from the ACC." William Barber, NESCol
The ability to work across programmes, and projects to ensure that all available knowledge is shared and distributed as widely as possible, is crucial for the continued success of the hydrogen economy. As hydrogen is still a new industry it is hugely important to assist other projects and take advantage of any opportunity that comes up, this ensures added value for each project.
HyTrEc2 have built-up a good working relationship with the Interreg North-West Europe HECTOR project. HyTrEc2 partners Aberdeen and Groningen are partners in the Interreg North West Europe project as well. Both HyTrEc2 and HECTOR are aiming to increase the amount of hydrogen used in large vehicles on the roads in their partner Cities, it is obvious there is a great deal of cross-over interests. Both HyTrEc2 and HECTOR require a hydrogen supply; a trustworthy manufacturer of specialist hydrogen transport; a trained pool of technicians and engineers; and a public awareness of hydrogen.
In this instance, HyTrEc2 partner Groningen have been able to capitalise on being in both projects to ensure that they have contracted a trustworthy vehicle manufacturer who really understands their City's needs. The City are using the same manufacturer to speed-up delivery. In using the same supplier the City is able to ensure that there is a degree of uniformity in the vehicles despite different daily task requirements: Groningen's HyTrEc2 waste truck is to be used for small bin collection, whilst HECTOR's is intended to be used for paper collection from underground containers.
HyTrEc2 have built-up a good working relationship with the Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak's Cleancon project. HyTrEc2 partner RISE is the lead partner of the Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak project. Both HyTrEc2 and Cleancon are aiming to reduce emissions in the more difficult sectors of transport, it is obvious there is a great deal of cross-over interests. Both HyTrEc2 and Cleancon require a firm understanding of what is available on the market; a knowledge of exactly what zero emission technologies are able to do; a healthy working relationship with manufacturers; and a trained workforce.
HyTrEc2 Partner RISE shared the data analysis carried out on the 5-9tonne forklift running on hydrogen with Cleancon. RISE presented the results of the HyTrEc2 forklift analysis at the Cleancon webinar on the 3rd of November 2020. The incredible findings from the computer simulation presents a very positive argument for hydrogen heavy forklifts, which can be used as a jumping-off-point for the Cleancon project. Sharing knowledge is so crucial in such a new market: it avoids unnecessary duplication and ensures multiplication of positive change.
HyTrEc2 recognises that sharing is caring! We share across project, country, and programme boundaries to delivery a robust hydrogen economy.