Hydra Energy continues to accelerate adoption of hydrogen-based transportation through breaking ground on the world’s largest hydrogen refuelling station.
The Vancouver-born “hydrogen-as-a-service” company is building the station in Prince George.
“What’s so important about designing and building our own hydrogen refuelling station is that it solidifies a template of how to overcome the chicken-and-egg problem that has plagued the hydrogen sector,” explains Hydra Energy Service Delivery Lead Ilya Radetski. “This Prince George station demonstrates that hydrogen can be provided at diesel parity without up-front capital costs for fleets.”
The new station and hydrogen production will be located on five acres, will produce 3,250 kilograms of hydrogen a day, and can refuel as quickly as diesel and up to 24 Hydra-converted trucks each hour across four bays, according to a statement from the company.
“We’re grateful for the support of the Prince George community since the region is a perfect place to demonstrate our proprietary hydrogen conversion technology due to its cold weather, challenging terrain, and the heavy payloads common in the area,” stated Hydra’s CEO Jessica Verhagen.
The station’s low-carbon hydrogen is being produced from two on-site, 5-megawatt electrolysers with electricity coming from BC Hydro, B.C.’s main electricity utility with 31 hydroelectric facilities throughout the province.
“Companies like Hydra are demonstrating how hydrogen is helping us meet our CleanBC goals,” noted the Honourable Bruce Ralston, B.C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “Hydra continues to crack the most difficult-to-decarbonize sector: heavy-duty trucking, which accounts for just over 1% of vehicles on Canadian roads but 30% of total GHG emissions.”
Hydra’s Prince George station will be operational early 2024.
The company recently forged a first-of-its-kind green trucking collaboration with First Truck Centre: commercial truck fleet owners can convert their trucks to run on hydrogen and diesel, reducing emissions up to 40%.
And earlier this year Hydra unveiled the world’s first hydrogen-converted armoured vehicle.
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