X International Congress of the Mexican Society of Hydrogen

October 2010

More than 250 researchers, students and entrepreneurs from 15 countries attended the X Congreso Internacional de la Sociedad Mexicana del Hidrógeno: Energias Renovables (‘X International Congress of the Mexican Society of Hydrogen: Renewable Energies’), in Toluca, Mexico the week of 4 October.  The meeting, hosted at the Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Toluca, served as a forum for the dissemination of technical scientific information which lasted all week.

           According to Javier Fortuna Espinosa, president of the SMH, there were approximately 200 papers and poster presentations, mostly on the generation of clean energy that will contribute to curbing the environmental impact of global climate change.  Topics that were discussed included; capture and disposal of carbon dioxide (CO2), wind and solar energy, hydrogen production to replace fossil fuels, vehicle emission, fuel cells fuel, biofuels, energy policy among others.  The Congress brought together scientists from France, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, USA, Canada, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina and Mexico, Mr. Fortuna stated in a telephone interview to "The Universal."

             World leaders in hydrogen were invited to provide keynote addresses concerning different topics covered by the Congress.  Keynote speakers included Jeffrey A. Serfass President Founder of the National Hydrogen Association (NHA) and president of Hydrogen Education Foundation (HEF) from the United States; Juan Carlos Bolcich, president of the Asociación Argentina del Hidrógeno (Association  for Hydrogen Argentina); Electo Eduardo Silva Lora of Itajubá Federal University, Brazil (UNIFEI), an expert on biomass, cogeneration, biogases, power plants and thermal generation; Ernestina Torres Reyes, president of the National Association of Solar Energy; and René Rangel Edgar Germain, member of the National Hydrocarbons Commission (NHC).  In addition, the founders of the SMH and Mexico's representative to the International Society of Hydrogen Suilma Marisela Fernandez, Oumarou Savadogo of Canada and Odon de Buen Rodriguez Director of Energy, Technology and Education (ENTE) and former head of the National Commission Energy Savings (CONAE), attended the Congress among others.

            As Javier Fortuna Espinosa noted, the conference, served as a meeting point for researchers, entrepreneurs and decision makers of government entities, in order to help build partnerships and collaborative programs in the development of new research and technological development.  It also allowed (the SMH) to help promote science and technology in the area of energy, talented young engineering students and engineering trades.