Via-Azul Europe 10: To enable a European Electro (low-carbon) Mobility

Thesis: Electro Mobility and the Energy Vector Hydrogen

2009-01-05T02:54:00.000-08:00

The Main challenge for the Electro Mobility is the efficient distribution (Smart Grids) of electrical energy from increasing Sustainable Energy Resources all over Europe to end-consumers (public and private) in the transportation sector, while simultaneously maintaining an energy supply/demand balance, through local energy storage, for asynchronous mobile applications.

The ‘Via Azul Europe 10’ is an initiative concept for an European Highway Network of a new Filling Station generation, providing facilities to reload energy storage utilities in vehicles with Electric (Batteries and Fuel Cells) and Internal Combustion (ICE-H2) Propulsion. These Filling Stations will be wired by a Smart Grid.

The Smart Grid will be realized through Highway Cables, a reasonable mixture of HVCD (high-voltage, direct current) and HVAC (high-voltage, alternating current) power transmission technology, connecting the Filling Stations with ever-growing Sustainable Energy Resources (Solar Thermal Power plants, Wind Power plants, Hydro Power plants, Biomass Power plants etc), distributed all over Europe. The Smart Grid will be extended by an Energy Dispatching WAN-IT-Network, to assure real-time information exchange about decentralize energy generation vs. local demands, to enable an anti-cyclic consumption optimization corresponding to the networks electrical energy capacities.

The name Via Azul (Azul = Blue: Similar to iea ETP 2010 BLUE MAPs (-50% CO₂ emissions by 2050, vs. 2000, to limit global warming at <= 2^oC) and “Blue” Hydrogen) was derived from the Fuelling Station Network capability, to act within the Smart Grid as Point of Local Energy Storage. The Energy Storage will follow the concept “Energy Vector Hydrogen”, realized through local Electrolysers, transforming the Electrical Energy (Smart Grid) into locally stored Hydrogen (Chemical Energy).If the Energy Transformation will be performed preferably during daily Energy overcapacity periods on the Smart Grid, this will enable reliable and Best Prices for the combustible Hydrogen, used in Long Distance Electro Vehicles with Hybrid propulsion ( Fuel Cell) and in Long Distance Vehicles with Internal Combustion Engines (ICE-H2).

For Short Distance Electro Vehicles with propulsion based on standardized batteries only, the Via Azul fuelling station network will provide a sufficient number of continuously maintained and charged standard batteries for local exchange. For the recharging of the standard batteries in highly automated fuelling station service points, there will always be two options to select from, corresponding to temporary local Smart Grid electricity prices:

During high energy demand times:
The Hydrogen stored Energy can be provided as well, through stationary Fuel Cells at the Fuelling Stations.
During low energy demand times:
The electricity, can be provided directly by the Smart Grid.

The Energy Vector Hydrogen combined with intelligent Smart Grid Dispatching facilities will enable a stable Energy Equilibrium for the European Transportation Sector - based on continuously balanced Electrical (Smart Grid) and Chemical (Hydrogen storage) Energy.

The BENEFITS FOR EUROPEAN ECONOMIES will be tremendous, not only in AUTOMOTIVE AND THE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SECTOR, but overwhelming in the SECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION, the bloodstream for each economy. The common benefits would be even more groundbreaking, when the Smart Grid will be connected with DESERTEC resources, providing high pike energy generation cycles during shifted time zones.

Future generations might call the raising of the Electro Mobility:

"The 3rd Technology Revolution"

There are various approaches to enable the European Rollout of the Electro Mobility, as a common Investment into the local market Development and prototyping dedicated for future global Application.
The "Via Azul Europe 10" initiative is a promising one of them..!

Establish Vía Azul Consortium (Business Model)

2008-12-10T15:16:00.000-08:00

qRequired: Public Private Partnership (PPP)

(Draft Business Model)

Public controlled (EUC) professional managed (EU holding)
Owner of the Via Azul Highway Power Grid and required additional CSP2
Vendor of the sustainable energy for local vehicle battery charging and H2 production/fuelling
Funding: Partially public and private (Stocks - IPO to be scheduled - sustainable growth)
Drive Fuelling Station transition initiative for rapid adoption of battery charging and H2 technologies
- Special ‘first time mover’ financing conditions to Fuelling Station owners
- Battery charging and H2 storage/fuelling equipment, incl. Power Electrolyser, to be owned and refinanced by Fuelling Station owner
Required Entities:
- EC: DG Energy / DG Mobility and Transport
- EU and Public/private funding sources, i.e. EIB/ELENA
- Providers of Smart Grid technologies
- Utilities/TSOs (Energy resources and transmission)
- Fuelling Station brands
- Fuelling Station technology providers
- Electro Mobility vehicle providers

Via Azul Objective

2008-12-10T15:14:00.000-08:00

Establish a low carbon Energy Strategy Transportation
European
National
Joint regions
Establish electricity from renewable (low carbon) energy resources as the major fuel in transportation
Move electrical energy to Point of Sale (PoS) – NOT fuels!
Apply the concept ‘Energy Vector Hydrogen’ for local energy storage at PoS, enabling European wide electricity load/supply balancing
Implement a separate SmartGrid (HVDC Highway cable) on a network of 10 initial Via Azul Highways in Europe
To efficiently connect northern (Wind Off Shore) and southern (CSP, CPV) energy resources with PoS in transportation
To be extended by national sub-highway network initiatives, using the electricity, provided via the 10 initial highways
To be connected to other long distance grids (i.e. EU Super Grid, DESERTEC)
Establish and accelerate EU Electro Mobility Rollout with balanced establishment of all key elements:
Energy supplying Smart Grid
Fuelling infrastructure (Rapid plug-in battery charging and Hydrogen)
Battery and Fuel Cells Vehicle fleets
Establish Via Azul Highway SmartGrid interchange with local crossing sub grids (i.e. Fast and Metropolitan Train Networks)

European Pilot Region

2008-12-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

Andalucia (Spain) is, corresponding to its high capacity of annual average sun radiation, the European Region with already the highest concentration of installed Concentrating Solar Thermal Power Plants (CSP), amplified by other substantial sustainable resources.
Locally conducted large scale demonstration projects for new technologies, i.e. Hydrogen vehicles and corresponding services, assure highly visibility to very prosperous and frequently returning groups of European tourists.