Hydrogen is a universal fuel that will play a major role in our clean, sustainable energy future. Coupled with fuel cells, hydrogen will increasingly provide us all with clean and quiet energy to power our cars, buses, mobile phones, laptops, home generators, and local power stations
Making London a hydrogen and fuel cell friendly city
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
Many consider that hydrogen - coupled with a device called a fuel cell - will increasingly provide us all with clean energy in the future. Hydrogen, a fuel or 'energy carrier', is a common industrial gas that is no more hazardous than petrol or other conventional fuels. A fuel cell is a 160-year old technology that enables the efficient and clean generation of electricity and heat by combining oxygen from the air with a hydrogen-rich fuel.
If pure hydrogen fuel is used, the only by-product of the process at the point of use is water. And, excitingly, if the hydrogen itself is produced from a carbon-neutral source such as solar or wind power, we have the potential for carbon-neutral and emission-free energy. Our cars, buses, mobile phones, laptops, home generators, power stations and so on could be clean ... and quiet! The latest generation of fuel cell hydrogen (FCH) powered buses are now operating on the streets of London as part of the Clean Hydrogen in European Cities (CHIC) demonstration project.
London Hydrogen Partnership
We are working with our partners in the London Hydrogen Partnership to bring this technology forward in the capital in order to improve energy security and air quality, reduce carbon emissions and noise, and support London's green economy.
The Partnership’s main objective is to work towards establishing a hydrogen economy for London and the UK.
It aims to:
- Establish and maintain dialogue among partners to enhance business opportunities with the FCH sector
- Work with partners to showcase the environmental benefits of their FCH technologies
- Procure, adopt and trial FCH technologies across the GLA group where feasible
- Provide a platform for funding bids and initiating new projects
The Partnership, set up in 2002, consists of an Executive Committee, two Project Groups and a Secretariat. It is chaired by Deputy Mayor Kit Malthouse.
For more information please visit the London Hydrogen Partnership website.
