The program Horizon Hydrogen Energy (H2E) [ Return towards  Preparing tomorrow  ]

Current developments should enable the first hydrogen cars to be accessible to the general public in 2015. There are, however, already applications for which hydrogen, paired with the fuel cell, meets an immediate need. These clearly identified applications will be developed very quickly in the framework of the H₂E program.

This ambitious program will bring together the main French actors in hydrogen energy. By pooling their competencies, they will accelerate innovation. Their R&D efforts will focus on each element in the sector: the development of hydrogen production technologies using renewable energies, hydrogen storage and fuel cells.

The results obtained will permit the hydrogen energy solution to be made quickly competitive vis-à-vis the alternatives and to set up a first real-life test phase on several hundred systems powered by hydrogen and the fuel cell. Next, the H₂E program will allow the marketing of several thousand systems for targeted markets. So a broad public will be able to become familiar with this new energy carrier. Last, the project will help define the regulatory framework that is indispensable for the use of hydrogen by everyone in complete safety.