For many hydrogen is well-known as a "far out" future solution to the increasing challenge of supplying clean and sustainable energy when fossils fuels become even more expensive than today. For some skeptics hydrogen is even seen as an almost utopia technology surrounded with and based on pure hype only, basically a future that won’t become real before after year 2050. H2PIA is challenging this view on hydrogen by releasing the vision for the world’s first hydrogen city ever. Based on existing hydrogen and fuel cell technology the building of H2PIA can actually begin in year 2007, and thereby become an early stepping stone towards the future hydrogen economy.
H2PIA – a city based on freedom, clean energy, creativity and innovation
H2PIA is a vision for a complete city, where citizens will produce the energy they need for themselves. H2PIA will show how we can develop from a society that produces energy by burning oil, coal and gas, to a hydrogen-based, independent, and pollution-free community.
H2PIA is based upon three values:
- Freedom
Because the citizens of H2PIA are independent of oil. They produce and store their own fuel in the form of hydrogen, that can deliver energy to both their homes and their cars.
- Clean energy
Because hydrogen is produced from renewable energy sources: sun and wind. And the only exhaust product left over when it is used is pure water.
- Creativity and innovation
Because the creation of H2PIA demands a close cooperation between the private and the public sector – between businesses, universities and policy makers. Experimentation, knowledge, experience, and results must be turned into real-life products to create a well-functioning and sustainable community where the noisy and polluting combustion engine is replace by the clean and silent hydrogen fuel cell.
H2PIA – a complete urban community
H2PIA is a complete urban community with residential houses, businesses, shops, cars, and roads. The inhabitants are ordinary citizens who can enjoy life in a clean, future-proof and sustainable society. But beneath the surface, much will be different from today, because of H2PIA's hydrogen technology. The best of the Danish architectural tradition will be employed to make use of the new requirements and possibilities that this technology presents, and the infrastructure will be constructed in a new and different manner.
H2PIA will consist of different, exciting townships:
H2PIA Public
Public is the town's central junction for storing, producing and distributing hydrogen and energy. Public contains a central combined heating and power plant based on hydrogen fuel cells. This is also where you find the hydrogen filling station, where cars can refuel hydrogen for their fuel cells.
H2PIA Share
Share constitutes the town centre that provides an exciting mix of shops, public spaces, businesses, and recreational areas. On a deeper level, H2PIA will provide the circumstances that allow for a fusion of work, leisure and fun – and create a context for optimism, creativity, joy of life, and confidence in the future.
Villa Plugged
Plugged contains a communal residence for the younger town residents. Plugged constitutes an open, creative and inspiring milieu, created by young people – for young people. Villa Plugged gets electricity and heat from H2PIA's central energy supply
Villa Unplugged
Unplugged is created for families that enjoy light, air, and freedom of movement. The villas are not attached to the common energy grid. They manage their own storage of hydrogen and production of energy for the home and the cars.
Villa Hybrid
Villa Hybrid is a family residence where the concepts from Unplugged and Plugged are combined. Here, the families produce their own energy but are also connected to the common energy grid, which they supply with any excess energy the may be producing. The car is also made use of, even when it is not on the road. Its fuel cell produces electricity for the common grid.
H2PIA - Not just a Danish Vision
H2PIA is facing global challenges of future energy supply and is therefore not just a Danish Vision. The team behind H2PIA therefore invites international companies, institutions and individuals to join the vision and help making it reality. Next step is to find a location for the city and establishing a consortium with the needed competences and resources to build the city. The aim is to start the building of H2PIA by year 2007.
