International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy

International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE)

The International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) is an international collaborative initiative to accelerate the development and deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and enable the global energy security, environmental and economic benefits that these technologies can provide. The IPHE membership is open to national governmental entities that have significant commitments to invest resources into research, development and demonstration activities to advance hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

The IPHE Terms of Reference, signed in November 2003, created a Steering Committee which governs the overall framework and activities of the IPHE. The mission of the IPHE is to serve as a mechanism to share information among partners to enable the organization and implementation of effective, efficient, and focused international research, development, demonstration and deployment activities related to hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The organization also provides a forum for sharing information on advancing policies as well as common codes and standards that can accelerate the cost-effective transition to hydrogen and fuel cells in a global economy to enhance energy security and environmental protection. The four strategic priorities which guide the activities of the organization include:

1. Accelerating the market penetration and early adoption of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and their supporting infrastructure
2. Supporting widespread deployment through policy and regulatory activities
3. Raising the profile with policy-makers and the public
4. Monitoring hydrogen, fuel cell and complementary technology developments

The two primary Working Groups within IPHE are the Education Working Group and the Regulations, Codes and Standards (RCS) Working Group. The Education Working Group focuses on sharing best practices and ideas on methods to increase education and outreach activities, including increased recognition programs such as through student awards. The RCS Working Group has focused on a number of activities related to sharing information on safety and protocol development related to testing hydrogen systems, including round robin testing of hydrogen tanks among several countries. Task Forces are also created to accelerate activities in specific areas as needed, such as the Task Force on sharing information on policies and incentives that may be valuable in accelerating the commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

IPHE also recognizes that stakeholders, those organizations that are affected by and can affect the goals of IPHE, form an essential component of IPHE activities. As such, IPHE has organized and endorsed a number of workshops and stakeholder events aligned with its mission.

In July 2005, the G8 Summit endorsed the IPHE in its Plan of Action on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development, and identified it as a medium of cooperation and collaboration to develop clean energy technologies.

Similar designations were also made in bilateral activities that include:

1. the joint statement of the U.S.-European Union Summit on Energy Security, Energy Efficiency, Renewables and Economic Development, and
2. the Mainz Declaration of Germany and the United States on Cleaner and More Efficient Energy, Development and Climate Change.

Note: When formed in 2003, the IPHE stood for the "International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy". The name was changed in 2009 in order to ensure the inclusion of fuel cell technologies within the scope of the partnership.