Hydrogen experts from across the globe meet in Australia in June: Germany looks forward to 2010 World Hydrogen Energy Conference

The 18th "World Hydrogen Energy Conference" (WHEC) is taking place from 16 to 21 May 2010 in Essen, which will be the first time in Germany since 1996. To prepare for this international World Hydrogen Energy Conference and to support the Australian organisers, Germany is acting as guest and exhibitor this year at the 17th WHEC 2008 from 15 to 19 June in Brisbane with a national pavilion in the Great Hall 3 + 4, Stand No. 28. Also in Australia are the company Heliocentris, the Jülich Research Centre and the member companies and institutions of the Organising Committee for the 2010 Conference.

Dr. Klaus Bonhoff, CEO of the National Organisation for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH), explains: "The choice of Germany as the venue for the WHEC 2010 shows that German companies and research institutions operating in the field of fuel cell and hydrogen technology in research, technology and marketing, combined and co-ordinated under the National Innovation Programme (NIP), now enjoy an excellent reputation and a high status internationally. At the same time Germany as a location for such activities arouses high expectations. To live up to these, a joint effort is required on the part of all players in Germany, in other words the industrial sectors involved, the federal government and, in particular, the strongly committed federal states."

"In Essen we intend to organise a conference just as interesting as those in Lyon and Yokohama ", Prof. Dr.-Ing. Detlef Stolten from the Jülich Research Centre, Chairman of the WHEC 2010, adds. "The intensive exchange of views in Australia between the experts from across the globe will help us in this. The aim in 2010 is to draw up clear strategies and timetables for the introduction of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in the participating countries."

"The choice of Essen as the venue is both a great distinction and a major challenge for Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia as a hub for fuel cell and hydrogen technology", explains Dr. Frank-Michael Baumann, CEO of EnergyAgency.NRW, which is managing the organisation of WHEC 2010. "We have been involved in the preparations for some time and we will substantially up the pace of our activities after Brisbane."

"The German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (DWV) supports the WHEC 2010 because this will open up for the participants a fascinating vista of the progress made to date in these forward-looking technologies. Furthermore the venue of Essen in 2010 as the European Capital of Culture will be the focus of a plethora of activities. The World Hydrogen Energy Conference will provide an excellent supplementary feature", according to Dr. Johannes Töpler, DWV board chairman.

The international World Hydrogen Energy Conference is held every other year, each time on a different continent; in 2006 it was in Lyon in France and now it's in Brisbane, Australia. At the 2004 conference in Yokohama a consortium consisting of the German Hydrogen Association DWV, the Jülich Research Centre, The European Hydrogen Association EHA, the Bavarian Hydrogen Initiative and the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research of Baden-Württemberg as well as the trade fair organisation Messe Essen successfully applied to provide the venue for the conference in 2010. The consortium was co-ordinated by the EnergyAgency.NRW and its NRW Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Network. 

Information: www.whec2010.com Mail: contact@whec2010.com 
Contact: Dr. Frank-Michael Baumann Tel.: 0049-171-5502129

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