The 17th World Hydrogen Energy Conference(WHEC2008) will be held in Brisbane in year 2008(15-17 June 08) is a significant event for Australia, and assures much activity in Australia ought begin after such an event. The National Hydrogen Institute of Australia (NHIA) naturally supports such a significant event involving hydrogen, and congratulates the Australian Institute of Energy (AIE) Hydrogen Division for working to secure such for Brisbane Australia.
It is now time to plan the implementation of stage one (1) of The Hydrogen Economy in Australia. Australia has been a member of the International Partnership for The Hydrogen Economy (IPHE) for a number of years now, along with fifteen (15) other member nations led by the US. The main objective of the IPHE is to have hydrogen as available as petrol by year 2020, knowing the mass production of the zero emission hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV) has been set for year ~2015. http://www.iphe.net/australia.htm
Honda Japan will commercially lease their hydrogen fuel cell FCX Car in year 2008, with GM (US) set to commercially release their hybrid E-Flex electric powered (Lithium battery /hydrogen fuel cell) Chevy Volt car in year 2009, with most if not all other major auto makers world wide (including India/China) following. The US Department of Transport just prior to Xmas 07 was reported as being informed by US automakers that they will start the mass production of FCVs in year 2012 not year 2015.
Global Warming, Climate Change and energy security are the obvious drivers here, and given the fact of the ever-increasing high price of crude oil, hydrogen should now be taken much more seriously. Assertive behaviour in Australia must begin immediately for hydrogen production, storage and transportation.
Hydrogen is a simple chemical element and is aggressively a gas (H2) at room temperature. Hydrogen is an energy carrier like petrol and electricity and is not an energy source like solar energy and or wind energy. Converting one form of energy to another consumes more useful energy than it yields, and if it could do the opposite by creating energy out of nothing, you could create a perpetual-motion machine violating the laws of physics. Conversion losses are unavoidable so the issue is whether they’re worth incurring.
Hydrogen production is already a large and mature global industry using at least 5% of U.S. natural gas output. Globally about 50 million metric tons of hydrogen is made for industrial use each year.
Gasified coal processed by new reactor technology can extract hydrogen whilst leaving carbon as a particle (soot), and thus negating expensive carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration. Such hydrogen produced can then be safely input into our natural gas pipeline to a safe %(10% -20%), noting that historical and commonly used town gas contained ~60% hydrogen. Every natural gas outlet in Australia then could passively extract hydrogen using new membrane technology, whilst ALL natural gas combusted as usual would burn much cleaner. This would be a logical direction for Australia to immediately examine considering its massive natural gas pipeline network and natural resources.
Hydrogen production from renewable energy sources like wind and or solar could easily be input into Australia’s natural gas pipeline. Farmers that are drought stricken could now seriously consider using Australian renewable energy technologies to farm solar/wind energies, so that electrolysis hydrogen using electricity would be offset by such renewable electricity generation. This would be similar to the electricity consumed by the proposed de-salination plant for Sydney/Botany NSW. Hydrogen production from water would be strategically produced and could even be produced within a de-salination facility site, as hydrogen would be clearly identified as coming from seawater and “offset” electricity. Botany Bay NSW could develop an “Oil tanker in / Hydrogen tanker out” scenario! http://www.naturalhy.net/start.htm
West Australia has a future massive (“OPEC”) solar hydrogen production and super tanker export scenario, and should immediately involve the IPHE desire, as such could activate major interim polluters like India and China as they are already IPHE members, so this option is very real to reduce their emissions ASAP. Only action will stop Global Warming.
Jan. 2008
Now covering an estimated ~ 500 schools throughout Australia
[Honda FCX - Hydrogen Car - World Debut]
The Australian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Science/Technologies education program was created from its pilot stage in June 2004.The Fuel Cell Institute of Australia Pty Limited was responsible for both and today the program continues as seen on its website at http://www.fuelcells.org.au. The F.C.I.A. working with Dr John EW Lambert Smith [DSc, MRACI, Chartered Chemist (Aust.)] are developing national educational modules for all schools in Australia starting in year 2009 complementing the Australian All-School Solar Rooftops program which involves putting solar energy technologies in all schools in Australia(~10,000) by year 2015.The Australian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Science/Technologies education program's pilot program was first listed by the Australian federal government in its "Australian Hydrogen Activity May 2005" book report on page "80".The book report was written by Dr David Rand and Dr Sukvinder Badwal of the CSIRO, for the federal department of Industry, Tourism and Resources (DITR). The FCIA has as well achieved its objective on page "81" of the same book report in that it has worked with Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies of China and introduced as a result, educational fuel cell products into the Australian educational market 200%-300" cheaper than several years prior, thus saving considerable monies on import costs.
Mr Stephen Zorbas whom created the Fuel Cell Institute of Australia Pty Limited(est.2003) , Solar Hydrogen Research Pty Ltd(est.1996), and The National Hydrogen Institute of Australia(2004), also created The National Hydrogen Association of Australia Pty Ltd in year 2001 although he is not associated with it now. Mr Zorbas noted in 1995 "A parallel of significance has been reached , between the importance of Hydrogen in its nuclear sense as in our stars, with hydrogen in its humble chemical sense, here on Earth." - © Stephen Zorbas - 1995.Mr Zorbas noted in year 2005 that " If a technology led approach towards future sustainability should ever be complemented by the "push" of carbon trading systems, we change the world forever "-sz05
When visiting Australia be careful not to be influenced by plagiarists, so only choose those that can prove their efforts with demonstrated achievement over time in this new field.
MOONSHOT 2010 video(30sec) Nuclear Energy in Australia
http://www.whec2008.com/ http://www.whec2008.com/committee.asp http://www.fair-pr.com/meet-aae/whec15/index.php http://www.merit.unu.edu/hfc/article.php?nid=111 http://www.merit.unu.edu/hfc/article.php?nid=111