Draft2:International Partnership for a Hydrogen Economy

International Partnership for a Hydrogen Economy on Wikipedia

IPHE: Who We Are

The International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) was created in 2003 to foster international cooperation on hydrogen and fuel cell R&D, common codes and standards, and information sharing on infrastructure development. The IPHE's 20 partner countries organize, evaluate, and coordinate multinational research, development, and deployment programs to advance the introduction of global fuel cells and hydrogen infrastructure.

Since its formation, the IPHE has succeeded in establishing an operational structure to facilitate international collaboration and networking both among researchers and at the highest levels of government. With the IPHE's help, nearly all partners have either completed or initiated roadmaps for hydrogen and fuel cell R&D. The IPHE has endorsed various international collaborative projects, co-labeled workshops and conferences, and sponsored a series of workshops on topics ranging from hydrogen storage to infrastructure issues.

Note: In December 2009, the official title was changed to "The International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy" (still abbreviated as IPHE) in order to include fuel cell technologies within the scope of the partnership.

Official Site - iphe.net

DOE Relevance

The formation of IPHE was facilitated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2003 to foster international cooperation on hydrogen and fuel cell R&D, common codes and standards, and information sharing on infrastructure development. Originally organized as "The International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy," the organization changed its official title to "The International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy" in December 2009 (still abbreviated as IPHE). The Chair of IPHE is elected by IPHE members and typically serves a 2 year term, with the potential for renewal. Chairs have included: Canada, Germany, Japan, France, and the U.S.

DOE POC

Sunita Satyapal

Director of the DOE's Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office
Sunita.Satyapal@ee.doe.gov

DOE links

Mission

The mission of the IPHE is to facilitate and accelerate the transition to efficient, clean energy and mobility systems using hydrogen and fuel cell technologies across applications and sectors.

The IPHE informs broad stakeholder groups, including policymakers and the public, on the benefits and challenges to establishing widespread commercial hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in the economy.

Core Functions

Strategic priorities of the IPHE include:

Accelerating the market penetration and early adoption of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and their infrastructure
Supporting widespread deployment through policy and regulatory activities
Raising profile with policy-makers and the public
Monitoring hydrogen, fuel cell, and complementary technology developments

Organization

Working Groups

Education & Outreach (E&O) Working Group

The purpose of this group is to share information on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, including challenges, opportunities, and initiatives (on policies and programs) across countries.

Engages in events and activities targeting various stakeholders, including policymakers and government officials at all government levels, as well as from academia, industry, non-governmental organizations, and associations.
Assembles student education and outreach events in each country which hosts biannual IPHE Steering Committee meetings.
Activities include developing fact sheets, webinars, programs and policies in each member country related to hydrogen and fuel cells, a snapshot of hydrogen infrastructure by country, and numerous demonstrations and deployments for different applications.

Regulations, Codes, Standards, & Safety (RCSS) Working Group

This group shares information, lessons learned, and best practices with a focus on hydrogen safety. It also focuses on the accordance of codes and standards developed by relevant industry code and standards development organizations.

Coordinates at the government level to develop RD&D programs that can address challenges, such as regulatory barriers that may be identified through activities.
Fosters dissemination of critical information to relevant stakeholders. Such information relates to the safe production, distribution, storage, and utilization of hydrogen.
Shares incident databases and training resources for code officials and first responders among the countries to avoid duplication and leverage knowledge and resources.
Past activities include sequential testing and sharing of protocols for high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks and the development of templates to share infrastructure reliability and safety data across countries.

Task Force

Hydrogen Production Analysis (H2PA) Task Force

The task force aims to take initial steps to develop a mutually agreed-upon methodology for determining the greenhouse gas and other pollutants' emissions associated with hydrogen production.

Application of methodology will help facilitate market valuation and international trade in ‘clean’ hydrogen by recommending a common approach established by several countries.
Adoption of any results is not mandatory and is subject to each country’s discretion, depending on its circumstance.

Partner Countries

Each of the following IPHE partner countries has committed to accelerate the development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

**Table of IPHE Countries**
Australia	China	Germany	Japan	Russian Federation
Austria	Costa Rica	Iceland	Republic of Korea	Republic of South Africa
Brazil	Eurpean Commission	India	Netherlands	United Kingdom
Canada	France	Italy	Norway	United States

Points of contact

IPHE Secretariat (secretariat@iphe.net)