US embassy cable - 05PARIS1008

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 PARIS 001008 
 
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STATE FOR OES/EGC HARLAN WATSON, DAN REIFSNYDER, AND BARBARA 
DEROSA-JOYNT 
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FOR DAVID GARMAN, MARK MADDOX, ROBERT 
DIXON, MICHAEL MILLS, AND STEVEN CHALK 
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR EMIL FRANKEL AND TYLER 
DUVALL 
NSC/CEQ FOR KEN PEEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG, ECON, FR 
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY 
STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING IN PARIS, 26-28 JANUARY 2005: THE 
HYDROGEN ECONOMY MOVES AHEAD 
 
 
1. Summary:  The International Partnership for the Hydrogen 
Economy (IPHE) Steering Committee (SC) convened in Paris, 
France from January 26 to 28, 2005.   The IPHE SC was co- 
chaired by Assistant Secretary of Energy David Garman and 
Assistant Secretary of Transportation Emil Frankel.  All 
IPHE members participated in the meeting including 
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, European Commission, 
Germany, France, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, 
Norway, Russia, United Kingdom, and the U.S.   The IPHE 
Steering Committee members successfully addressed three 
major issues at the Paris meeting: 1) IPHE membership 
applications; 2) collaborative projects and events; and 3) 
stakeholder involvement in IPHE.   Hydrogen production from 
nuclear energy pathways was the technical theme of the SC 
meeting.  Member reports and technical presentations offered 
at the meeting, as well as other IPHE documents, can be 
found at the web site: www.iphe.net.  The IPHE 
Implementation and Liaison Committee (ILC) will convene from 
March 22 to 23, 2005, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  The next 
IPHE Steering Committee meeting will take place in Kyoto, 
Japan, from September 14 to 15, 2005.  End summary. 
 
Background 
---------- 
2. Representatives from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, 
European Commission (EC), France, Germany, Iceland, India, 
Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, Russia, UK and the U.S. created 
the IPHE in November 2003 as a mechanism to coordinate 
hydrogen and fuel cell technology research, development 
demonstration and deployment.  The IPHE is governed by Terms 
of Reference.  IPHE countries share a common interest in pre- 
competitive research and development cooperation that will 
support the future deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell 
technologies.  Building a safe, efficient and economical 
world-wide infrastructure for hydrogen production, storage, 
transport, distribution and use is a challenge that will 
require the best planning and expertise from around the 
world.  International cooperation will also help countries 
to more efficiently achieve national hydrogen and fuel cell 
technology program goals for both transportation systems and 
stationary applications.  For more information on the IPHE 
visit www.iphe.net. 
 
3. The IPHE Steering Committee (SC) is co-chaired by U.S. 
DoE Assistant Secretary David Garman and U.S. DoT Assistant 
Secretary Emil Frankel.   The co-chairs were elected in 
 
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November 2003.  The IPHE Implementation-Liaison Committee 
(ILC) is co-chaired by Prof. Thorsteinn Sigfusson of Iceland 
and Dr. Hanns Joachim Neef of Germany.  The IPHE Secretariat 
is staffed and supported by the U.S. DoE, DoT, State and 
AID.   Dr. Robert Dixon is Executive Director of the IPHE 
Secretariat.  Dr. Dixon can be contacted at iphe@ee.doe.gov. 
 
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IPHE Steering Committee Meeting Summary 
--------------------------------------- 
4. The overall SC meeting tone was collegial and 
cooperative.  Each IPHE member was constructive and helpful 
in a team effort to advance the overall IPHE agenda.  The 
GOF officials, together with their private sector partners, 
were gracious hosts.  As the IPHE representatives departed 
Paris, there was a sense of purpose and accomplishment. 
 
5. IPHE Secretariat and IPHE ILC reports: The IPHE 
Secretariat offered an extensive report regarding their 2004 
 
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activities and accomplishments, including technical 
assistance, training, hydrogen technology vision and roadmap 
activities in Brazil, China and India, communication and 
outreach, technical and policy publications, web site 
expansion and other topics.  Recently, the IPHE Secretariat 
established a world atlas of hydrogen and fuel cell 
activities that tracks over 400 major projects in countries 
around the world. 
 
6. IPHE ILC Co-Chairs Prof. Sigfusson and Dr. Neef offered 
an excellent written and oral report regarding 2004 ILC 
activities and accomplishments.  The co-chairs presented a 
vision and workplan for 2005 that focused on project 
development, analysis products, seminal workshops and 
conferences, and research and development accomplishments. 
 
7. IPHE Membership: The IPHE Secretariat received membership 
applications from three countries:  Denmark/Greenland, New 
Zealand, and South Africa as well as from two NGOs: 
Partnership to Advance the Hydrogen Economy (PATH) and the 
Russian Hydrogen Energy Association.  Applications for IPHE 
membership should address the following criteria: 
substantial, long-term resource commitments to hydrogen and 
fuel cell technology research and development activities; 
well-defined vision and national strategy to advance 
technology deployment and infrastructure development; and 
commitment reflected in policies and strategies that 
effectively advance private sector development of a hydrogen 
economy.  Following a review of all the country membership 
applications, the IPHE Steering Committee decided to admit 
New Zealand under section 4.2 of the IPHE Terms of 
Reference.  The applications of Denmark/Greenland and South 
Africa were not approved by the SC because they were 
incomplete and did not address membership criteria.  The 
IPHE Secretariat was instructed by the SC to contact the 
applicants, convey the decisions of the Steering Committee, 
and work with officials from Denmark/Greenland and South 
Africa to improve and expand their application materials. 
The applications of the two NGOs, PATH and Russian Hydrogen 
Association, were not accepted because there is no provision 
in the IPHE Terms of Reference for non-governmental bodies. 
The NGOs were referred to the IPHE ILC. 
 
8. Stakeholder Participation in IPHE activities and events: 
After approximately one year of discussion and negotiation, 
a plan was crafted to guide stakeholder relations with IPHE 
members.  The IPHE SC reviewed the draft plan at their 
meeting and, after considerable discussion, it was approved. 
The four major elements of the plan include: implement an 
expanded, interactive IPHE web site; establish a list of key 
stakeholders drawn from all IPHE members and use this list 
for periodic announcements of IPHE activities, 
accomplishments, reports and newsworthy information; 
establish a list of stakeholder associations that could be 
official observers at IPHE meetings and events; and, as 
appropriate, convene Ministerials, Steering Committee, 
Implementation-Liaison Committee meetings and activities 
that focus on stakeholder needs and interests.  The Steering 
Committee referred this plan to the IPHE Secretariat and the 
IPHE ILC for execution. 
 
9. IPHE Scoping Papers:  Over the past 15 months, five 
scoping papers were drafted, reviewed and refined by IPHE 
members to help define the technical and policy scope of 
IPHE activities.  The five papers addressed the following 
topics:  hydrogen production; hydrogen storage; 
collaborative fuel cell research and development; 
regulations, codes and standards; and socio-economics of 
hydrogen.  The SC agreed to publish the five IPHE scoping 
papers as living discussion documents.  The scoping papers 
will be placed on the public section of the IPHE website. 
 
10. IPHE Collaborative Projects and Events:  After 
approximately seven months of discussion, negotiation and 
multiple revisions, a plan and process were drafted to 
facilitate development and recognition of IPHE projects and 
events.  The SC approved the plan with minor changes and 
directed the IPHE ILC to begin immediate execution of the 
plan.  The ILC will convene in Brazil from March 22 to 23, 
2005, to develop, organize and refine official IPHE projects 
for consideration by the SC.  The SC authorized and 
empowered the IPHE ILC to review applications for 
collaborative events (e.g., workshops, conferences) with 
other organizations.  A number of governmental and private 
sector organizations around the world have requested a 
closer working relationship with IPHE.  The IPHE logo, in a 
short period of time, has developed a strong brand name. 
 
11. IPHE Productivity and Metrics:  The IPHE Secretariat 
introduced a discussion paper to SC members that addressed 
the need to develop quantitative and qualitative metrics of 
IPHE accomplishments and productivity.  The SC referred the 
discussion paper to the IPHE ILC for their review and 
comment.  This paper, consistent with the goals of President 
Bush's Management Agenda, will help ensure that IPHE 
produces high-quality, focused, timely products that 
accelerate development of the hydrogen economy. 
 
12. IPHE Member Reports:  A total of 44 technical and policy 
presentations were offered at the two-day Steering Committee 
meeting.  All IPHE member countries reported on recent 
activities and accomplishments in their hydrogen and fuel 
cell research, development, demonstration and deployment 
programs.  These reports continue to reinforce the deep and 
broad national commitments to the hydrogen economy. 
Complete reports for each IPHE member can be found at 
www.iphe.net.  Some highlights from the country reports 
were: 
 
--Australia presented an 85-page compendium of their 
hydrogen and fuel cell activities; 
--Brazil reported on their stationary fuel cell research and 
development activities; 
--Canada updated members on their effort to complete a 
national hydrogen technology roadmap that complements their 
existing fuel cell technology roadmap; 
--China reported to fellow members their efforts to employ 
and demonstrate hydrogen and fuel cell technologies at the 
2008 Summer Olympics, as well as presented their national 
hydrogen vision and roadmap; 
--the European Commission reported on their Hydrogen 
Platform activities; 
--the U.S. reported considerable progress in the 
implementation of the President's $1.2 Hydrogen Fuel 
Initiative; 
--Italy updated members on their efforts to establish 
Hydrogen Parks in five key cities; 
--Japan offered a thorough report on their research and 
development with hydrogen and fuel cell activities in the 
transport and stationary sectors. 
 
13. Nuclear Energy Production of Hydrogen:  The technical 
theme of the SC meeting was nuclear energy production of 
hydrogen.  Public and private sector speakers from Canada, 
France, Japan, and the U.S. offered compelling evidence that 
nuclear energy production of hydrogen is technically 
feasible and economically efficient.  Traditional tensions 
associated with nuclear energy technology discussions at 
multilateral meetings did not disrupt the Paris IPHE SC 
meeting.  IPHE members departed the SC meeting with an 
improved understanding and appreciation of the important 
role nuclear energy may play in future production of 
hydrogen for transport and stationary applications. 
 
14. IPHE Calendar:  The Steering Committee, working with 
IPHE Secretariat and the IPHE ILC, developed a calendar of 
future meetings.  The revised and updated IPHE calendar 
includes: IPHE SC, September 14-15, 2005, Kyoto, Japan; IPHE 
ILC, October 17-19, 2005, Shanghai, China; IPHE SC, March 28- 
29, 2006, Vancouver, Canada; and IPHE ILC, June 18-19, 2006, 
Lyon, France.  The U.K. and Iceland offered to host IPHE 
meetings in late 2006 or 2007. 
 
15. IPHE Press Event:  January 26, on the margins of the 
IPHE SC meeting, Embassy Paris officials organized a formal 
press briefing and Q&A session, where DOE Assistant 
Secretary Garman and DOT Assistant Secretary Frankel spoke 
 
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to specialized media on the merits of a hydrogen economy. 
The environmental and scientific journalists present at the 
press conference included right-of-center daily Le Figaro's 
(circulation: 360,000) Caroline de Malet, Martine Kis from 
the monthly publication Le Courrier des Maires (circulation: 
13,467) which is aimed at informing elected officials 
throughout France, Guillaume Mincent from the monthly 
Environnement Magazine (circulation: 12,037) and Nathalie 
Jaupart from the bi-monthly La Foret Privee (circulation: 
3,000) devoted to forest conservation and industry.  These 
journalists were interested in learning the extent of USG- 
sponsored and privately-sponsored research into practical 
applications of hydrogen-fueled cars and hydrogen as a 
practical, alternative, cost-effective source of power for 
individual homes and businesses. 
 
16. What's next for IPHE?  The fourth meeting of the IPHE 
Implementation-Liaison (ILC) Committee will convene in Rio 
de Janeiro, Brazil, from March 22 to 23, 2005.  The 
Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy and Ministry of 
Science and Technology will host the IPHE ILC meeting 
together with private sector partners.  The IPHE ILC meeting 
agenda is under development by the IPHE Secretariat. 
 
17. The Government of Brazil will host two important 
meetings on the margins of the IPHE ILC.  The Brazilian 
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Network will host a technical workshop 
on March 20, 2005, and Brazilian Mines and Energy Minister 
Rousseff has invited all Latin American countries to 
participate in the Latin American Forum on Hydrogen and Fuel 
Cells on March 21, 2005. 
 
18. For more information regarding IPHE activities, please 
contact the IPHE Secretariat at iphe@ee.doe.gov.  The IPHE 
Secretariat and the Departments of Energy, Transportation 
 
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and State appreciate the assistance and cooperation of posts 
to help further the implementation of IPHE activities. 
 
19. This cable was cleared by DOE Dr. Robert Dixon. 
 
LEACH