A high-level agreement is to be signed next week by Aberdeen City Council and a European-wide organisation which will boost the city’s hydrogen profile.
Aberdeen City Council spokesperson for hydrogen Councillor Barney Crocket is to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) which seeks to ensure better working relationships for hydrogen fuel cells between regions and industry.
The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) is a co-operation of representatives from industry, academic, research organisations and public authorities to develop and deploy strategies for fuel cells and hydrogen energy technologies, and its mission is to accelerate the commercialisation of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
As cities and regions are the main drivers to decarbonise the transport sector, improved coordination of priorities and activities within EU is key to achieving the goal of accelerating the adoption of fuel cells and hydrogen technologies.
Aberdeen is a leader in hydrogen technologies through schemes such as the Hydrogen Bus Project, and Cllr Crocket, who is speaking at the stakeholders’ event in Brussels, said signing the Memorandum of Understanding will further promote this role throughout Europe.
He said: “It is essential that the City Council – and Aberdeen - keeps up to date with current hydrogen and greener energy strategies, locally, nationally and transnationally and also looks forward to ensuring that Aberdeen is at the forefront on delivering within the strategies - Aberdeen holds the presidency of HyER, the hydrogen organisation for the European regions.
“It’s very important that Aberdeen is leading on hydrogen and greener energy strategies, and is also seen to be leading on them throughout the EU as it helps to cement the city as a the energy capital of Europe.”
The Memorandum of Understanding will provide a framework for improved collaboration between the different representatives and, by signing it, the City Council agrees:
- To work together for the identification of synergies amongst programmes, funding schemes and other financing sources;
- To establish working arrangements between their respective instruments and frameworks to accompany the fuel cells and hydrogen sector by promoting synergies and complementarities between the European funds managed by FCH JU and other sources of funding;
- To promote its activities and support mechanisms through an outreach and dissemination policy which is aimed towards economic, industrial and other interested parties.
Signing the Memorandum of Understanding in Brussels next week will also link into strategies such as the Regional Economic Strategy, City Centre Masterplan, City Region Deal, Digital Place Strategy, Powering Aberdeen, and A Hydrogen Economy Strategy for Aberdeen City Region.