The world's first commercial hydrogen filling station for cars and buses is to open in Reykjavik, Iceland next month.
Built by Shell it has been shipped to Iceland under a EU-sponsored environmental project. The station will initially serve three DaimlerChrysler hydrogen-powered buses on regular city routes for two years.
Shell are also due to open the US's first hydrogen service station near Washington DC in October. The station is being built in conjunction with General Motors (GM) who will use the station to support its fleet of fuel cell vehicles. The two have teamed up to promote the commercial development of hydrogen-powered cars.
The EU recently announced a €2.1 billion hydrogen energy research programme while the US has announced its own €1 billion hydrogen plan.
However, both sides disagree on the best way to derive hydrogen. The EU favours the use of renewable energy - such as solar power - to derive hydrogen, while the US is pushing the idea of taking hydrogen from fossil fuels.