APEC Workshop on the Sourcebook for Hydrogen Applications – Western Hemisphere APEC Members
By Robert Mauro, PATH General Manager

On November 22^nd, 2004 in cooperation with the Mexican IIE (Electric Research Institute), PATH held a Workshop on the Sourcebook for Hydrogen Applications in Cuernavaca, Mexico.  The Workshop’s purpose was to obtain input and gauge attendee interest and reaction to the Sourcebook.  Eleven Representatives from four countries attended the workshop.  There were six presentations made on hydrogen and fuel cell related demonstration projects and hydrogen and fuel cell codes and standards.  In addition a presentation was made on the Sourcebook for Hydrogen Applications by Dr. Robert Hay, President of TISEC.

The meeting might be divided in half.  The first part of the meeting dealt primarily with a presentation on the Sourcebook for Hydrogen Applications followed by a discussion. The major points coming out of the discussion on the Sourcebook were:

• The desire to have the Sourcebook in hard copy for use by officials at all levels of government, and
• The request by some attendees that the Sourcebook include more component information on hydrogen compatible components such as piping and valves.

In response to these requests, Dr. Hay indicated that PATH and TISEC would be willing to develop a ‘lite’ version of the Sourcebook in hard copy if resources were made available; and the authors recognize the need to include more component information into the Sourcebook and will try to meet that need.

The second part of the workshop contained presentations by the attendees on the hydrogen demonstrations and codes and standards followed by responses to discussion questions related to those topics.  Each country provided an insight into its future direction in both its presentations and responses to questions.

• Mexico indicated that it imported natural gas.  This means its path to hydrogen must be through renewable electric production with electrolysis and this is the direction of its demonstrations.
• The U.S. with large coal reserves is focused on hydrogen production from coal with projects such as FutureGen.  These efforts include sequestration.
• Japan with few natural resources is focused on end-use and sees small residential fuel cells operating on hydrogen as their near term commercialization option.
• Canada with no major resource issues is focused on grouping of hydrogen projects into functional systems with titles like: Hydrogen Highway, Hydrogen Village and Hydrogen Airport.

The constant theme expressed in both discussions was the need for a source of authoritative on hydrogen and fuel cells.  The Sourcebook would be an information database, and be used as a resource in helping each country define its role.