Dubai Examines Prospects for Making Solar Hydrogen as Zero-Emission Fuel

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates/RHINECLIFF, N.Y.-- March 2, 2001--Dubai, an oil-producing member state of the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf, is closely examining the idea of producing hydrogen as environmentally benign, zero-emission automotive fuel in cooperation with German luxury car maker BMW, reports the new March issue of "The Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter."
    Dubai's luxurious avant-garde landmark hotel Burj Al Arab served as staging area in early February for BMW's six-month tour of 10 top-of-the-line liquid hydrogen fueled BMW sedans the company is sending to Brussels, Milan, Tokyo and ultimately Los Angeles to stir interest and drum up support in this ultra-clean, by definition non-polluting transportation technology, the monthly newsletter said.
    Dubai and BMW are supporting a feasibility study at Munich's Technical University that analyzes production potential for making hydrogen from solar energy and seawater in Dubai, due to be completed later this month. The university's researchers are also looking at solar energy and solar hydrogen production prospects in other parts of the world's Sun Belt, the newsletter said.
    "If Dubai decides to go ahead and eventually start producing renewable hydrogen, obviously this would be a drastic change from business as usual in the international energy trade," said Peter Hoffmann, the newsletter's editor and publisher. "It could foreshadow an almost revolutionary departure from present global energy production and distribution patterns."