A unique Scandinavian cooperation for deployment of zero emission vehicles
Regions and municipalities in the Öresund - Kattegat – Skagerrak area have expressed a political will to enforce the use of emission-free vehicles. Next Move is therefore launched today - an EU-funded project that facilitates cooperation across borders to meet strategic challenges like purchasing and service, for the regions and municipalities that want to become early users of these vehicles.
The international automotive industry is working with determination towards electric cars and city buses, which are considered the best solution - technically, environmentally and economically. The combination of batteries charged with electricity and fuel cells fueled by hydrogen, gives a local emission consisting of water. They are also a strong competitor to current fossil vehicles in terms of comfort and safety. This type of cars and buses are now available for demonstration projects and car manufacturers promise a small series production from 2015 onwards. But technical development alone is not sufficient for these vehicles to reach market introduction - the infrastructure and users of the vehicles must be in place as well.
By being early vehicle users, the participating organizations create demand, but they also generate new knowledge and practical experience for the future. An inspiring example among the project participants is the City of Copenhagen, which has decided that only cars powered by electricity or hydrogen may be purchased by the city authorities from 1 January 2011 onwards.
The aim to be early users of emission-free vehicles bring some costly and complex challenges, such as procurement of a new type of vehicle and competence building regarding service and maintenance of the new technology. The great value of the Next Move project is that it in an organized way brings together early users in an operational and strategic cooperation that will show very visible results, such as tens of vehicles, a refueling station and a training program.
"That public organizations from different countries go first in line and work together for the deployment of emission-free vehicles is both exciting and unique. When they buy vehicles and build up their skills together, they give a great boost to the introduction of a type of vehicle that really can make a difference to the environment," says Jessica Vacklid, project manager for Next Move.
The Nordic countries have been joining forces in the Scandinavian Hydrogen Highway Partnership, SHHP, since 2006 with the purpose of deploying hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and constructing and clustering hydrogen refueling stations. Thanks to this, the region has distinguished itself as one of the earliest areas in the world where the latest automotive technology is demonstrated, a position strengthened by the project Next Move.
Next Move is launched in Oslo June 21, 2011 in connection with a Nordic political seminar, organized by HyRaMP, The European Regions and Municipalities Partnership on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells.
Contact:
Jessica Vacklid, Hydrogen Sweden
jessica.vacklid@vatgas.se, + 46 705-088 906
Kjetil Storvik, Kunnskapsbyen Lillestrom
kjetil@oreec.no +47 918 39 275
Next Move facts
The project is funded by INTERREG IVA Öresund - Kattegat - Skagerrak, an EU program that supports cross-border cooperation between Denmark, Sweden and Norway - The project runs from 110401-140331 - The total budget is around 6 million Euro Read more about the Scandinavian collaboration for a hydrogen infrastructure on www.scandinavianhydrogen.org.
Next Move participants
Sweden: Malmö, Region Skåne and Hydrogen Sweden
Norway: Ruter AS ZERO - Zero Emission Resource Organization, Kunnskapsbyen Lillestrom, Akershus Energi, Skedsmo Municipality and the Council for Drammen Region
Denmark: Municipality of Copenhagen and Hydrogen Link
