In the words of Shell Hydrogen CEO Don Huberts: "The importance of hydrogen as an energy carrier for the future is increasing and being driven by societal and environmental needs as well as by technological advances.  Shell believes that hydrogen has great potential as the preferred long term fuel for transportation and that hydrogen will enable us to deliver energy to our customers in the future more sustainably than is possible today.  Shell sees in hydrogen an opportunity for growth and proactively establishes partnerships and invests in energy technologies that are required to make the hydrogen economy a reality." 

   Huberts announced today that his company will send a representative to participate in the World Congress for a Hydrogen Economy to be held in Denver this fall. Speaking from his Amsterdam, Netherlands office, Huberts said, "Shell is committed to hydrogen as the fuel of choice and to delivering hydrogen fuel on a commercial basis." 

   In 1999 Royal Dutch Shell established Shell Hydrogen as a separate business.  It is a global entity committed to pursuing and developing business opportunities related to hydrogen and fuel cells. "Shell Hydrogen has links with all of Shell's existing businesses," Huberts said.   

   He explains that Shell chose to create a separate company to address hydrogen issues because  "the development of hydrogen technologies and infrastructures is a long process which takes several years to grow and prosper.  It is therefore difficult to develop this successfully from within multiple existing businesses.  The existing businesses have stretching targets to deliver day-to-day operational excellence and to meet their quarterly financial expectations.  As a separate business, Shell Hydrogen is better able to focus and to establish the staying power and long-term value growth commitment required to make this a success." 

   Shell fully embraces the developing hydrogen economy and actively welcomes collaboration with manufacturers and researchers. 

   The company is currently  participating with International Fuel Cells (IFC), a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, in a joint venture to manufacture and sell fuel processors for the emerging fuel cell and hydrogen fuel markets.  The processors convert fossil fuels into hydrogen for cars, buses, and power generators for filling stations, convenience stores and homes. 

   Fuel processors provide a practical and critical bridge between today's technology and tomorrow's by providing hydrogen from safe, inexpensive and readily available sources, according to Huberts.  He is pleased about the prospect of combining the technical and marketing expertise of the two companies in order to produce and distribute fuel processors.  IFC is the sole supplier of fuel cells for U.S. space missions. 

   Shell Hydrogen is also joint venturing with Hydro-Quebec to develop, manufacture and market hydride-based hydrogen storage materials and devices for passenger vehicles and power generators. Metal hydrides have the ability to safely trap hydrogen inside a metal alloy and allow hydrogen atoms to bond to the metal. "If a hydrogen economy is to be created, then a safe and reliable hydrogen storage system is absolutely critical," Huberts said. 

   The company believes that the growth and acceptance of a hydrogen economy will best be achieved through a synergy of suppliers, distributors, manufacturers, legislators, investors and end users.  To this end, they have on-going projects in Iceland, Europe, and the United States and funds research programs at leading universities and research institutes.