European integrated hydrogen project (EIHP)

A main objective of the EIHP was the development of draft regulations for hydrogen vehicles. These documents will be presented to WP29 of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), a UN organisation in Geneva, in the first half of 2000. The EIHP [1] aims at creating the basis for the harmonisation of the necessary legislation in Europe for the use of hydrogen in road vehicles. The work has been undertaken by the partners in close co-operation with the licensing authorities and is based on a dual strategy: analysis of existing hydrogen related legislation in Europe, Japan and the USA, and analyses of existing hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure in Europe complemented by safety studies. Proposals for improved safety concepts were developed as well as concepts for standardised vehicle components, infrastructure components and pre-normative regulations, and where necessary the proposal of further investigations. Open questions of hydrogen fuelled vehicles were addressed and approval authorities were familiarised with hydrogen technology. In a project related public mid-term workshop [2], held in Brussels in March of 1999, project partners and interested European authorities and specialists exchanged views on the approach of the project and on safety, licensing and approval issues. The work is jointly funded by the partners and by the European Commission to a maximum of 50%2of the total budget of 2.5 MEuro [3].