INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 PARIS 001008

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STATE FOR OES/EGC HARLAN WATSON, DAN REIFSNYDER, AND BARBARA
DEROSA-JOYNT
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FOR DAVID GARMAN, MARK MADDOX, ROBERT
DIXON, MICHAEL MILLS, AND STEVEN CHALK
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR EMIL FRANKEL AND TYLER
DUVALL
NSC/CEQ FOR KEN PEEL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG ECON FR
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY
STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING IN PARIS, 26-28 JANUARY 2005: THE
HYDROGEN ECONOMY MOVES AHEAD



1. Summary: The International Partnership for the Hydrogen
Economy (IPHE) Steering Committee (SC) convened in Paris,
France from January 26 to 28, 2005. The IPHE SC was co-
chaired by Assistant Secretary of Energy David Garman and
Assistant Secretary of Transportation Emil Frankel. All
IPHE members participated in the meeting including
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, European Commission,
Germany, France, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, Korea,
Norway, Russia, United Kingdom, and the U.S. The IPHE
Steering Committee members successfully addressed three
major issues at the Paris meeting: 1) IPHE membership
applications; 2) collaborative projects and events; and 3)
stakeholder involvement in IPHE. Hydrogen production from
nuclear energy pathways was the technical theme of the SC
meeting. Member reports and technical presentations offered
at the meeting, as well as other IPHE documents, can be
found at the web site: www.iphe.net. The IPHE
Implementation and Liaison Committee (ILC) will convene from
March 22 to 23, 2005, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The next
IPHE Steering Committee meeting will take place in Kyoto,
Japan, from September 14 to 15, 2005. End summary.

Background
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2. Representatives from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China,
European Commission (EC),France, Germany, Iceland, India,
Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, Russia, UK and the U.S. created
the IPHE in November 2003 as a mechanism to coordinate
hydrogen and fuel cell technology research, development
demonstration and deployment. The IPHE is governed by Terms
of Reference. IPHE countries share a common interest in pre-
competitive research and development cooperation that will
support the future deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell
technologies. Building a safe, efficient and economical
world-wide infrastructure for hydrogen production, storage,
transport, distribution and use is a challenge that will
require the best planning and expertise from around the
world. International cooperation will also help countries
to more efficiently achieve national hydrogen and fuel cell
technology program goals for both transportation systems and
stationary applications. For more information on the IPHE
visit www.iphe.net.


3. The IPHE Steering Committee (SC) is co-chaired by U.S.
DoE Assistant Secretary David Garman and U.S. DoT Assistant
Secretary Emil Frankel. The co-chairs were elected in

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November 2003. The IPHE Implementation-Liaison Committee
(ILC) is co-chaired by Prof. Thorsteinn Sigfusson of Iceland
and Dr. Hanns Joachim Neef of Germany. The IPHE Secretariat
is staffed and supported by the U.S. DoE, DoT, State and
AID. Dr. Robert Dixon is Executive Director of the IPHE
Secretariat. Dr. Dixon can be contacted at iphe@ee.doe.gov.

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IPHE Steering Committee Meeting Summary
--------------

4. The overall SC meeting tone was collegial and
cooperative. Each IPHE member was constructive and helpful
in a team effort to advance the overall IPHE agenda. The
GOF officials, together with their private sector partners,
were gracious hosts. As the IPHE representatives departed
Paris, there was a sense of purpose and accomplishment.


5. IPHE Secretariat and IPHE ILC reports: The IPHE
Secretariat offered an extensive report regarding their 2004

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activities and accomplishments, including technical
assistance, training, hydrogen technology vision and roadmap
activities in Brazil, China and India, communication and
outreach, technical and policy publications, web site
expansion and other topics. Recently, the IPHE Secretariat
established a world atlas of hydrogen and fuel cell
activities that tracks over 400 major projects in countries
around the world.


6. IPHE ILC Co-Chairs Prof. Sigfusson and Dr. Neef offered
an excellent written and oral report regarding 2004 ILC
activities and accomplishments. The co-chairs presented a
vision and workplan for 2005 that focused on project
development, analysis products, seminal workshops and
conferences, and research and development accomplishments.


7. IPHE Membership: The IPHE Secretariat received membership
applications from three countries: Denmark/Greenland, New
Zealand, and South Africa as well as from two NGOs:
Partnership to Advance the Hydrogen Economy (PATH) and the
Russian Hydrogen Energy Association. Applications for IPHE
membership should address the following criteria:
substantial, long-term resource commitments to hydrogen and
fuel cell technology research and development activities;
well-defined vision and national strategy to advance
technology deployment and infrastructure development; and
commitment reflected in policies and strategies that
effectively advance private sector development of a hydrogen
economy. Following a review of all the country membership
applications, the IPHE Steering Committee decided to admit
New Zealand under section 4.2 of the IPHE Terms of
Reference. The applications of Denmark/Greenland and South
Africa were not approved by the SC because they were
incomplete and did not address membership criteria. The
IPHE Secretariat was instructed by the SC to contact the
applicants, convey the decisions of the Steering Committee,
and work with officials from Denmark/Greenland and South
Africa to improve and expand their application materials.
The applications of the two NGOs, PATH and Russian Hydrogen
Association, were not accepted because there is no provision
in the IPHE Terms of Reference for non-governmental bodies.
The NGOs were referred to the IPHE ILC.


8. Stakeholder Participation in IPHE activities and events:
After approximately one year of discussion and negotiation,
a plan was crafted to guide stakeholder relations with IPHE
members. The IPHE SC reviewed the draft plan at their
meeting and, after considerable discussion, it was approved.
The four major elements of the plan include: implement an
expanded, interactive IPHE web site; establish a list of key
stakeholders drawn from all IPHE members and use this list
for periodic announcements of IPHE activities,
accomplishments, reports and newsworthy information;
establish a list of stakeholder associations that could be
official observers at IPHE meetings and events; and, as
appropriate, convene Ministerials, Steering Committee,
Implementation-Liaison Committee meetings and activities
that focus on stakeholder needs and interests. The Steering
Committee referred this plan to the IPHE Secretariat and the
IPHE ILC for execution.


9. IPHE Scoping Papers: Over the past 15 months, five
scoping papers were drafted, reviewed and refined by IPHE
members to help define the technical and policy scope of
IPHE activities. The five papers addressed the following
topics: hydrogen production; hydrogen storage;
collaborative fuel cell research and development;
regulations, codes and standards; and socio-economics of
hydrogen. The SC agreed to publish the five IPHE scoping
papers as living discussion documents. The scoping papers
will be placed on the public section of the IPHE website.


10. IPHE Collaborative Projects and Events: After
approximately seven months of discussion, negotiation and
multiple revisions, a plan and process were drafted to
facilitate development and recognition of IPHE projects and
events. The SC approved the plan with minor changes and
directed the IPHE ILC to begin immediate execution of the
plan. The ILC will convene in Brazil from March 22 to 23,
2005, to develop, organize and refine official IPHE projects
for consideration by the SC. The SC authorized and
empowered the IPHE ILC to review applications for
collaborative events (e.g., workshops, conferences) with
other organizations. A number of governmental and private
sector organizations around the world have requested a
closer working relationship with IPHE. The IPHE logo, in a
short period of time, has developed a strong brand name.


11. IPHE Productivity and Metrics: The IPHE Secretariat
introduced a discussion paper to SC members that addressed
the need to develop quantitative and qualitative metrics of
IPHE accomplishments and productivity. The SC referred the
discussion paper to the IPHE ILC for their review and
comment. This paper, consistent with the goals of President
Bush's Management Agenda, will help ensure that IPHE
produces high-quality, focused, timely products that
accelerate development of the hydrogen economy.


12. IPHE Member Reports: A total of 44 technical and policy
presentations were offered at the two-day Steering Committee
meeting. All IPHE member countries reported on recent
activities and accomplishments in their hydrogen and fuel
cell research, development, demonstration and deployment
programs. These reports continue to reinforce the deep and
broad national commitments to the hydrogen economy.
Complete reports for each IPHE member can be found at
www.iphe.net. Some highlights from the country reports
were:

--Australia presented an 85-page compendium of their
hydrogen and fuel cell activities;
--Brazil reported on their stationary fuel cell research and
development activities;
--Canada updated members on their effort to complete a
national hydrogen technology roadmap that complements their
existing fuel cell technology roadmap;
--China reported to fellow members their efforts to employ
and demonstrate hydrogen and fuel cell technologies at the
2008 Summer Olympics, as well as presented their national
hydrogen vision and roadmap;
--the European Commission reported on their Hydrogen
Platform activities;
--the U.S. reported considerable progress in the
implementation of the President's $1.2 Hydrogen Fuel
Initiative;
--Italy updated members on their efforts to establish
Hydrogen Parks in five key cities;
--Japan offered a thorough report on their research and
development with hydrogen and fuel cell activities in the
transport and stationary sectors.


13. Nuclear Energy Production of Hydrogen: The technical
theme of the SC meeting was nuclear energy production of
hydrogen. Public and private sector speakers from Canada,
France, Japan, and the U.S. offered compelling evidence that
nuclear energy production of hydrogen is technically
feasible and economically efficient. Traditional tensions
associated with nuclear energy technology discussions at
multilateral meetings did not disrupt the Paris IPHE SC
meeting. IPHE members departed the SC meeting with an
improved understanding and appreciation of the important
role nuclear energy may play in future production of
hydrogen for transport and stationary applications.


14. IPHE Calendar: The Steering Committee, working with
IPHE Secretariat and the IPHE ILC, developed a calendar of
future meetings. The revised and updated IPHE calendar
includes: IPHE SC, September 14-15, 2005, Kyoto, Japan; IPHE
ILC, October 17-19, 2005, Shanghai, China; IPHE SC, March 28-
29, 2006, Vancouver, Canada; and IPHE ILC, June 18-19, 2006,
Lyon, France. The U.K. and Iceland offered to host IPHE
meetings in late 2006 or 2007.


15. IPHE Press Event: January 26, on the margins of the
IPHE SC meeting, Embassy Paris officials organized a formal
press briefing and Q&A session, where DOE Assistant
Secretary Garman and DOT Assistant Secretary Frankel spoke

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to specialized media on the merits of a hydrogen economy.
The environmental and scientific journalists present at the
press conference included right-of-center daily Le Figaro's
(circulation: 360,000) Caroline de Malet, Martine Kis from
the monthly publication Le Courrier des Maires (circulation:
13,467) which is aimed at informing elected officials
throughout France, Guillaume Mincent from the monthly
Environnement Magazine (circulation: 12,037) and Nathalie
Jaupart from the bi-monthly La Foret Privee (circulation:
3,000) devoted to forest conservation and industry. These
journalists were interested in learning the extent of USG-
sponsored and privately-sponsored research into practical
applications of hydrogen-fueled cars and hydrogen as a
practical, alternative, cost-effective source of power for
individual homes and businesses.


16. What's next for IPHE? The fourth meeting of the IPHE
Implementation-Liaison (ILC) Committee will convene in Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil, from March 22 to 23, 2005. The
Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy and Ministry of
Science and Technology will host the IPHE ILC meeting
together with private sector partners. The IPHE ILC meeting
agenda is under development by the IPHE Secretariat.


17. The Government of Brazil will host two important
meetings on the margins of the IPHE ILC. The Brazilian
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Network will host a technical workshop
on March 20, 2005, and Brazilian Mines and Energy Minister
Rousseff has invited all Latin American countries to
participate in the Latin American Forum on Hydrogen and Fuel
Cells on March 21, 2005.


18. For more information regarding IPHE activities, please
contact the IPHE Secretariat at iphe@ee.doe.gov. The IPHE
Secretariat and the Departments of Energy, Transportation

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and State appreciate the assistance and cooperation of posts
to help further the implementation of IPHE activities.


19. This cable was cleared by DOE Dr. Robert Dixon.

LEACH