Opening
Press Conference
Monday, April 19, 10:00 am
at the Forum in
the center of the Group Exhibit, Hall
13, Booth F45
The Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Group Exhibit,
now in it’s 10th consecutive year,
breaks all previous records regarding
the number of exhibitors, the amount of
floor space and the number of countries
represented at this year’s HANNOVER
FAIR.
Another record, which will be broken,
is the number of top speakers in the field
of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells. 114 speakers
will present ideas, products and future
direction here on stage throughout the
five-day Forum Program.
We are looking forward to another dynamic
display of latest developments and various
applications of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells.
In the next six days, we will show the
complete chain, from the energy carrier
– Hydrogen – to various commercial
applications of Fuel Cell Systems. During
our opening press conference today, we
have selected some representatives from
relevant exhibitor groups.
Participants:
Deng Jiangshan, Officer
of China Technology Market Management
& Promotion Center (MOST), Beijing,
China
Andres Cloumann, Head
of Sales/Marketing of Norsk Hydro Electrolysers
AS, Notodden, Norway
Dr. Karl Föger,
Chief Technology Officer of Ceramic Fuel
Cells Limited, Noble Park, Victoria, Australia
George Lagios, President
of TROPICAL S.A., Athens, Greece
Uwe Küter, CEO
of h-tec Hydrogen Energy Systems, Lübeck,
Germany
Arno A. Evers, Founder,
Owner and Operator of the Hydrogen + Fuel
Cells Group Exhibit, Arno A. Evers FAIR-PR,
Starnberg, Germany
Ulrich Walter, Moderator,
Arno A. Evers FAIR-PR, Starnberg, Germany
Deng Jiangshan
Ministry
of Science and Technology (MOST)
Beijing, P.R. China
We are very glad to be here. It has taken
one year to organize for a Hydrogen and
Fuel Cells Group Exhibit to take place
in Shanghai in November. But I can tell
you that the Chinese Government places
great importance in this undertaking specifically
in Hydrogen and generally in Fuel Cells.
The Government sees it as an important
part of Chinese future development, especially
concerning the environment. A particular
emphasis will be placed on such energy
in time for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in China also
represents a great opportunity for foreign
investors. The Government is highly supportive
and encourages foreign investment in this
field. Today, there are over 100 research
bodies in China involved in Hydrogen and
Fuel Cells research. China has not yet
reached the development level in the Hydrogen
and Fuel Cells field that some countries
in the West have reached.
Andres Cloumann, Head of Sales/Marketing
Hydro Electrolysers
Notodden, Norway
We have electrolyzer projects in many
places, including Iceland, Utsira and
Hamburg, here in Germany. These are basically
demonstration projects, but they work!
Where we don’t get enough power
from the wind, we supplement with Hydrogen.
We must be here at the Group Exhibit in
Hannover because this is where our customers
are.
Dr. Karl Föger, CTO
Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited
Noble Park, Victoria,
Australia
I think that SOFC is very important. In
our case, we run a system using methane.
A big advantage is that heat is also produced.
So, for example, one of our products also
produces household hot water. I believe
that Home Fuel Cells represents a great
opportunity towards a Hydrogen future.
I must add that this a very well organized
Group Exhibit and I must congratulate
the organizers.
George Lagios, President
TROPICAL S.A.
Athens, Greece
The Greek Government really supports Hydrogen
research. As one of the only private companies
involved in the H2/FC field in Greece,
we receive many benefits from the Government.
We also conduct projects in cooperation
with the University of Athens.
We have recently been involved in creating
mobile offices using fuel cells. For example,
creating the Athens Olympics' security
and safety offices. Unfortunately, we
have run into bureaucratic problems with
this project which could mean authorisation
for only one of them.
I’ve been here at the Group Exhibit
for a few years, but this is my first
time as an exhibitor. But now, we’ll
definitely be back in future years.
Dipl.-Phys. Uwe Küter, CEO
h-tec
Wasserstoff-Energie-Systeme GmbH
Hydrogen Energy Systems
Luebeck, Germany
For the first time, we can give a price
estimate for stacks, for all watt-configurations.
We keep coming back to the Group Exhibit
here. Not just because it is the best
organized Group Exhibit, but because it’s
good for our business. In our business,
you HAVE to be here.
Arno A. Evers, owner and operator
of Group Exhibit H2/FC
Arno
A. Evers FAIR-PR
Starnberg, Germany
Ulrich Walter (UW): Congratulations
to the 10th anniversary of the Group Exhibit!
When you started it for the first time
in 1995, did you expect it to grow this
big?
Arno A. Evers (AAE): To be honest, I
knew that it would grow. However, I was
not sure at the beginning that our Group
Exhibit would grow at such speed.
UW: What about the next 10 years? Will
there be a big breakthrough for H2/FC?
Do you think the Group Exhibit can break
all records each following year?
AAE: This I’m not quite sure about.
But I’m quite sure that the breakthrough
which is expected by everybody worldwide
will not come necessarily with the applications
everybody is working on today. It might
be a completely different thing or idea.
Not necessarily in the fields of classical
hydrogen and fuel cells application development
being work on now: stationary, portable
and automotive.
UW: Can you explain this in a bit more
detail?
AAE: What I mean is a completely new
service, unknown today, which will benefit
the daily life of everybody world wide.
In this case, money will not be the question
because will be desperate to use this
new service which coincidently powered
by hydrogen using fuel cells.
UW: What are the highlights this year
on our Group Exhibit?
AAE: Highlights include first step real
life applications of the before mentioned
classical hydrogen and fuel cell uses.
Forklift truck, cars, stationary and portable
solutions. The beauty of our Group Exhibit
is that all visitors get first hand experience
in a very time efficient way.
UW: You are planning a similar Group
Exhibit at the Shanghai International
Industry Fair, November 4-9 in China this
year. Do you think the Chinese market
is ready for this technology? Are our
exhibitors ready for the Chinese market?
AAE: Due to the magnitude of the Chinese
market, in my opinion, the breakthrough
will come there. The standard of living
of the Chinese population is getting better
every day. The usage of electrical appliances
is reaching, in some cases, above western
standards. Here again, money is not the
question. Young Chinese ladies working
in office jobs pay a one-month's salary
for their mobile phones, as well as, they
pay a one-day’s salary for a cup
of Starbucks coffee. They do this, even
without thinking about it; it is quite
normal for them. Coming to our exhibitors,
if they really want to be on the worldwide
market, it would be a good idea for them
to follow our motto: “Go to where
the Market is!”. That is why we
recommend to attend the new Group Exhibit-Hydrogen
+ Fuel Cells in China.
Ulrich Walter, Moderator
Arno
A. Evers FAIR-PR
Starnberg, Germany
Zhang, Hao (Angela), Translation
Arno
A. Evers FAIR-PR
Starnberg, Germany
Click
here for the Opening Press Conference
HANNOVER FAIR '03 |
