The Icelandic hydrogen team is launching the next learning phase towards a hydrogen future, the SMART-H2 (Sustainable Marine and Road Transport, Hydrogen in Iceland).
The SMART-H2 has three main paths; testing hydrogen passenger cars; designing and using fuel cell equipment as auxiliary power unit (APU) on board a ship and a research path based on the data collected in the 2003 bus project as well as the upcoming demonstrations.
VistOrka (a cooperation platform for hydrogen) will provide at least US$3.5m to the SMART-H2, a project with the total budget of US$7-8m. The funding will be used to provide incentives for available hydrogen vehicles preferably fuel cell cars. VistOrka has also the intentions to evaluate other alternative fuel sources and vehicles, with the goal to have at least 30 hydrogen vehicles operating by mid-2009.
The fuel cell technology is progressing fast and it became evident in the bus project that the lifetime, efficiency and reliability have drastically improved. The Icelandic team is convinced about the importance of fuel cells in transportation and as Professor Sigfusson, a board member of INE stated when awarded the prestigious Globe International Energy Prize for his research, $quot;I’m having a platonic love affair with hydrogen and fuel cells.$quot;
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