This study was organised as a support mechanism to to evaluate and raise quality of suggested socio-economic research undertaken in future hydrogen lighthouse projects and be both supportive to the Joint technical initiative and for applicants who are kicking off their own hydrogen organisation. 

The participants organised first the areas they found of interest and drew up maps of the relevant social groups involved at each societal sector related to hydrogen projects. These were called socio-grams and display actors in each country /region where hydrogen demonstrations have been undertaken. Then partners from these sectors were interviewed and issued. In the same report a large table; a classified outline of the social studies that have been done so far was composed. This study matrix and the interviews gave rise to new ideas for social /economic research in the field.

Hy-Approval and HyFLEET:CUTE revealed that social studies carried out in context with hydrogen demonstrations often lacked substantiation, variety and helpful comments from the involved stakeholders.

Then partners from these sectors were interviewed and the results were analysied and issued in deliverable 1. In the same report a large table; a classified outline of the social studies that have been done so far was composed. This study matrix and the interviews gave rise to new ideas for social/economic research in the field. The table was first grounded in the projects Hy-Approval and HyFLEET:CUTE. This simple outline revealed that social studies carried out in context with hydrogen demonstrations often lacked substantiation, variety and helpful comments from the involved stakeholders.

Often technical and demonstration projects, like some of the national projects referenced here, use vast resources for hardware while neglecting the human interface and cultural variations of both public and private perceptions as well as economic effects in the demonstrating countries. Integrating lessons learned from nationally supported H₂ projects, Prepar-H2 will first upgrade the social matrix, by adding results from social studies from recent years and then dig deeper. selected stakeholders at all levels of the hydrogen fuel chain and support mechanisms will be interviewed on cross-disciplinary issues. 

Views and comments will also be gathered from people involved with other alternative fuels and drive trains; Prepar-H2 will simultaneously provide an economic comparison between hydrogen, other alternative fuels and conventional fossil fuel. The final outcome will be information on social comments and values as well as economic data providing grounds for evaluation of the relevancy and quality of proposed accompanying measures in future hydrogen lighthouse projects.  More importantly, findings from Prepar-H2 will not only be applicable to future lighthouse projects but also have the flexibility to be applied to other H2 projects thereby successfully promoting H2 in societies through a thorough social and economic understanding of stakeholders’ perceptions, attitudes and actions.

Involved in this project are five partners, Icelandic New Energy sees to the project management.  The others are:

1.        Stiftelsen for Industriell og Forskning ved Norges Tekniske Hogskole (SINTEF)

2.        Berlin University of Technology (TUB)

3.        H2-LINK Denmark Association (H2 Link)

4.        Italian National Agency for New Technologies and the Environment (ENEA)

The duration of the projects was 18 months.