‘Exciting future’ with hydrogen

Date: 12/06/03

HYDROGEN represents a "new and exciting" option for meeting the EU's future energy needs, a conference will be told later this month.

The EU's dependence on imported energy could rise from 50 to 70 over the next 20-30 years. The prospects of a hydrogen economy are growing ever higher, says Peter Haug, secretary-general of the Brussels-based European Atomic Forum, which represents Europe's nuclear industry.

"Every option, including nuclear and renewables, will have to be pursued if we are to meet our future energy needs in a sustainable manner," Haug is expected to tell a conference of energy industry experts in Brussels on 16 and 17 June.

Hydrogen is there in abundance, as it is in the water that covers 70 of the surface of the planet. But splitting it from the oxygen requires energy - electricity.

"Support for any hydrogen-based economy will have to be provided by a variety of other energy resources," Haug said.