Today 18th June 2013 at the HFC2013 international conference in Vancouver a ground-breaking Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (CHFCA) and the Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (SHFCA). The CHFCA was represented by their President and CEO Eric Denhoff, and the SHFCA was represented by John Lidderdale, Chairman of the SHFCA Board.
This is the first example of national industry associations representing the interests of the rapidly growing hydrogen and fuel cell sector establishing a trans-continental agreement between North America and Europe on future collaborative working and supporting the development of trade and innovation links. This agreement has been facilitated by the valuable support from Scottish Development International and the Scottish Government in helping SHFCA develop an international presence.
Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism Fergus Ewing said “The signing of the MOU highlights the commitment between CHFCA and SHFCA to help develop international relations and trade. The work of these two bodies should be commended. “We have already seen that Scotland has the best renewable energy resources in Europe, and we are firmly on course to meet our target of generating the equivalent of 100% of Scotland’s total electricity demand from renewables by 2020. “Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies can help Scotland achieve maximum value from its renewable resources by providing options for energy storage and a route towards decarbonising our electricity, heat and transport sectors.”
John Lidderdale, Chairman of SHFCA added : ‘This MOU with the CHFCA supports the ambition we have for SHFCA to achieve the largest membership base of any hydrogen and fuel cell organisation in the world. We want our members to actively support the development and deployment of cleantech, energy efficient technologies, and renewables in Scotland to deliver real benefits in practical and economic terms at a local level. This MOU with the CHFCA will be of commercial benefit to all members of SHFCA and CHFCA by helping to develop trade and innovation links between Scotland and Canada’
Daryl Wilson, President and CEO of Hydrogenics and Chairman of the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association stated “Canada has a long and productive relationship with Scottish clean energy interests and in particular with the growing hydrogen and fuel cell sector in Scotland. We are excited about deepening this relationship through the MOU and in exploring together how we can accelerate the sector’s development on both sides of the Atlantic”
Professors Anthony Petric (McMaster University) and Viola Birss (University of Calgary) from the SOFC Canada NSERC Research Network and Professor John Irvine (University of St Andrews) added ‘We strongly endorse the Memorandum of Understanding between the Scottish and Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Associations providing for collaboration and mutual cooperation. This will provide an excellent platform for our groups to extend our collaborative research activities in high temperature fuel cells’.
Anne MacColl, CEO of Scottish Development International added ‘There is a very considerable opportunity for Scotland and the UK to achieve a major hydrogen and fuel cell economy, and to become a significant player on the international scene. We believe that this MOU will help to harness the skills and expertise available within the CHFCA membership, an example of which is the hydrogen fuel cell company, Ballard, who are already involved in the £20m Aberdeen Hydrogen Bus project. The MoU will also help ensure that Scotland is promoted on the international stage as the preferred destination for fuel cell & hydrogen development and deployment.
About the Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association : further information is available on the SHFCA website at www.shfca.org.uk
About the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association : further information is available on the CHFCA website at www.chfca.ca