UK-Hynet, Britain's Hydrogen Network

Somewhat eclipsed by the blooming electric vehicle development, another alternative means of powering vehicles is slowly but surely catching ground. After Norway already opened for business its HyNor network, the UK tries to follow its lead and debuted the UK-Hynet project.

The aim of the project is to make UK the leading country when it comes to hydrogen infrastructure by 2015. The plan is to do this before automakers begin producing, on a larger scale than today, of hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles (HFCVs). This would put the UK in the front line of markets for these types of vehicles to be deployed.

UK-Hynet will engulf several now distinct low emission research and development activities, more or less related to the hydrogen network. Accordingly, the project will now bring together already existent, yet separate projects in the fields of hydrogen, fuel cells and low-carbon energy systems.

Together with the project, work on an UK Hydrogen Roadmap has already begun. Both these project have been set in place with the support of the Renault-Nissan alliance, as part of their "reshaping the future of the automobile strategy". The program was announced at the Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in Bedfordshire.

"Nissan continues to draw attention to the growth of the UK infrastructure and support for low carbon mobility – acting as a catalyst to bring together like-minded organizations including local and national government, academic institutions, regional development agencies, technology suppliers and potential end-users in order to assure a clean future for mobility in the UK," Nissan said in a release.