Welcome > Themes > Hydrogen for Mobility > Links > Amsterdam and Rotterdam unite for hydrogen
Amsterdam and Rotterdam unite for hydrogen
The local authorities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam have set up a National Hydrogen Coalition, which will include companies, knowledge institutes, civil society organisations and governments, working together towards the large-scale application of hydrogen.
GAVE reports that "[t]he coalition will make an important contribution to national policy objectives with respect to the climate, air quality, energy supplies and innovation." In a letter to mr Balkenende, Dutch Prime Minister and chair of the National Innovation Agenda, the cities' representatives and coalition initiators write: "We see hydrogen as one of the best options to improve the air quality and climate. We therefore want to be (...) front-runners."
In the letter, the two cities request that the coalition be added to the National Innovation Agenda, which will make it eligible for state subsidies.
Hydrogen economy
The National Hydrogen Coalition aims to further develop hydrogen technology, achieve accelerated application, and create opportunities for the business community in the Netherlands. Amsterdam and Rotterdam local authorities plan to take the lead with their actions.
"We are convinced that collaboration between Dutch towns is very important, particularly between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, because our skills and ambitions with respect to hydrogen, are complementary", according to city councillors ms Vos (Amsterdam) and mr Harbers (Rotterdam). "The Netherlands can distinguish itself, internationally, by the large-scale production of climate-neutral hydrogen", says Harbers, whose city is one of Europe's largest production sites for hydrogen.
The National Hydrogen Coalition fits seamlessly into the ambitions of the Rotterdam Climate Initiative, which attempts to halve CO2 emissions and other harmful substances by 2025.
Transport applications
"Amsterdam sees fuel cell technology as crucial in the development of clean, climate-neutral transport, and sees its application in the town as a starting point in the transition to sustainable mobility", says ms Vos.
GAVE reports: "The motivation behind the use of hydrogen is the local authority's ambition to reduce CO2 emissions in 2025 by 40%, compared to 1990 levels. The structural improvement of the city's air quality also has high priority."
Read the full article here:
Download PDF version of this page