The Via Azul Europe 10 (VA) is a crosscutting, comprehensive synergy initiative to establish a European Mobility on two energy carriers Electricity and Hydrogen from renewable sources. The simultaneously implementation of a charging/fuelling infrastructure and setup of initial electric propulsion vehicle fleets along the corridors of 10 initial European VA Highways (until 2025), starting with selected cross country VA Pilot Regions and tangential cities (until 2015), will connect substantial renewable energy sources throughout Europe with new generation fuelling stations. The stations will be equipped with facilities for local energy storage and charging/fuelling of Battery-Powered Electric Vehicles (BEV), Hydrogen-Powered Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV). The corresponding primary energy supply from RES will be realized through a new VA Energy Supply Grid (VA ESG), implemented preferably underground along mostly public highway trails. The innovative VA concept: ‘Move electrical energy to the Point-of-Sale - NOT fuels!’ requires a smart fusion of already existing/evolving technologies and business models, in 4 distinct areas, the VA Quadrants: Energy Resources, Energy Transmission, Energy Storage and Energy Application.

As a result of this smart fusion approach, a European consortium of 5 SMEs, 8 Academic partners and 5 industry partners has been formed, to elaborate on the regulatory, technical, economical and environmental feasibility of VA Energy Quadrants, in order to derive and approve the entire VA solution approach/business model, incl. identified GAPs in legal/regulatory frameworks and for further R&D, as well as potential investments and public private partnerships for its final implementation.

The scientific and industrial experience of the consortium partners will enable:

• The performance of the Feasibility Study main tasks for each VA Energy Quadrant :
  • Regulatory
  • Technical
  • Economical
  • Environmental (incl. LCA)
• The Elaboration on VA Feasibility Study key deliverables, like:
  • The VA Business Model, incl. the VA Energy Supply Grid (ESG)
• The development and application of the framework for Supply & Value Chain Models, in order to permit final simulation of both chains for the entire VA Business Model
• The creation of the Blueprint framework for the final Feasibility Study Blueprint developments:
  • In VA Pilot Regions*
  • On the 10 VA Highways *
    *(incl. required infrastructure and initial BEV/FCEV, PHEV fleet establishments) 

Time line for feasibility study work packages (WP)