Canadian province will spend over $16 million on hydrogen trucks
British Columbia will be funding a pilot project to replace diesel in the transportation sector.
The Canadian province of British Columbia has announced its intentions to fund a CAD$16.5 million (about USD$12 million) pilot project to use hydrogen trucks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector.
Trucking is currently estimated to contribute to a quarter of the emissions in the province.
The BC Pilot Hydrogen Truck Project was recently announced in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Among those in attendance were Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, as well as George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
HTEC, an H2 energy company from British Columbia, will acquire six different heavy duty hydrogen trucks and an Abbotsford maintenance facility and will be upgrading an H2 refueling station in Tsawwassen.
The strategy involves having all six vehicles in active transport operation within the province before the close of 2024. The goal is to prove by 2026 that they are viable alternative to traditional transport vehicles that use diesel fuel.
According to British Columbia’s estimates, shipping and hauling comprise 60 percent of transport emissions.
The hydrogen trucks pilot project is a component of the CleanBC plan.
The CleanBC plan is intended to help the province meet its emissions reduction goal of 40 percent by the close of the decade.
If successful, it will help to provide a foundation upon which industry and innovators will be able to build to meet the 2050 net-zero emissions goals. The province is among the country’s leaders in H2, having established Canada’s first H2 policy two years ago.
“Hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks are a key part of our climate plan to steeply cut both carbon emissions and air pollution,” said Heyman.
Among the broader goals following the hydrogen trucks pilot project include establishing regional hydrogen hubs for fueling consumers and industry alike. At the same time, it will support the acceleration of medium- and heavy-duty H2 vehicle adoption at industrial locations and on the province’s roadways.
The cost barrier
The current cost of transport hydrogen trucks is as much as four times higher than that of conventional diesel-powered transport vehicles.
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