By Robert Mauro, General Manager, PATH
PATH was established in May of 2002 to create an international forum for hydrogen by establishing a real and virtual community of interest among national hydrogen associations. The current members of PATH are the
Canadian Hydrogen Association (CHA), the Hydrogen Energy Society of Japan (HESS), and the
National Hydrogen Association (NHA). PATH activities are guided by three objectives:
- To identify and develop a community of interest among Members and address common issues
- To encourage a higher level of knowledge, activity and safety in hydrogen among PATH Members
- To assist interested hydrogen parties in countries which are not PATH members to organize a hydrogen activity within their country and become a contributing member of the hydrogen community.
Since PATH is less than two years old it is still building its base from which future activities will flow and these base-building projects are designed to be on-going and growing. The four activities which will form the foundation for PATH are: development of a collective vision for hydrogen, creation of a common living information base for hydrogen activities, creation of a curriculum which facilitates training and educating students in hydrogen and fuel cells, and the establishment of an international web of hydrogen researchers anchored at research institutes in each PATH member country. PATH is exploring a fifth, less fundamental, activity that may be just as important as the others its role in demonstration projects.
In 2004 PATH plans to make progress in all four foundation activities and perhaps demonstration projects also. PATH expects to receive an APEC grant to expand the Sourcebook for Hydrogen Applications to include the activities of all APEC members. Once completed PATH anticipates that the Sourcebook will be web accessible by CD with a password. Revenues from the sale of the expanded Sourcebook will be used to update and expand it annually, and there will be a small annual subscription. In this way over the next few years PATH hopes to capture all major fuel cell and hydrogen experiences and requirements globally. PATH will also complete an initial version of the collective hydrogen energy vision of its members. This would be revisited and appropriately revised as PATH membership grows.
