US Government invests in hydrogen, biomass research
26 November 2002: Apart from the research by manufacturers of fuel cells and carmakers, the US Government is spending some E77 million annually on research into development of hydrogen fuel cells for automotive use.
It is also spending around E100 million on research into fuels developed from 'biomass', the waste product from harvesting grains.
At a conference in Houston, Texas, on climate change last week, officials said no single renewable energy product can immediately replace oil, but a combination of hydrogen, wind and agricultural by-products may be able to cut US dependence on oil in the next 10 to 20 years.
The Shell company says natural gas is the most likely 'bridge fuel' over the next 30 years while technology is developed to better exploit renewable resources. The company has invested E500 million over the past four years to develop renewable energy sources.