Air Products plans to build a network of permanent, commercial-scale, multi-modal hydrogen refueling stations in Canada.
The stations stretching from Edmonton to Calgary, Alberta, will be equipped to serve heavy-duty trucks and light-duty hydrogen fuel cell cars, Air Products reported. They will be located along the Queen Elizabeth II highway, providing a fueling experience and speed similar to gasoline or diesel, helping Western Canada reach a goal of 5,000 hydrogen or dual fuel vehicles on the road in the next five years.
“With abundant resources, tremendous talent, and forward-thinking governments, Canada is driving the clean energy transition forward,” Seifi Ghasemi, Air Products chairman, president, and CEO, said in a news release. “Last year, Air Products announced our continued investment in Western Canada with the first permanent, commercial-scale hydrogen refueling station in Alberta. Today, we build on that commitment with plans to build additional commercial-scale multi-modal hydrogen refueling stations.”
Each station will be able to fuel up to 200 heavy-duty trucks or 2,000 cars per day, Air Products added.
“In Canada, hydrogen is essential to decarbonizing transportation where heavy-duty vehicles travel long distances in extreme temperatures,” said Rachel Smith, Air Products Canada vice president and general manager.
“We are excited to be activating Canada’s first hydrogen corridor here in Alberta.”
The first of Air Products’ permanent hydrogen refueling stations, located in Edmonton, near the site of the company’s net-zero hydrogen energy complex that is under construction, is scheduled to be onstream in 2025. Currently, Air Products has placed a temporary, hydrogen mobile fueler on the site that is supplying customers. The permanent Edmonton hydrogen refueling station is supported in part by $1 million (CAD) in funding from Natural Resources Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program.
“The development and deployment of hydrogen presents an enormous economic and environmental opportunity for Canadians,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources in Canada. “The federal government is prepared to seize this opportunity, and today’s announcement by Air Products shows that Canadian companies and innovators are also continuing to lead the way on hydrogen.
“I congratulate Air Products on today’s exciting announcement. Together, we will continue to establish Canada as a leading producer and supplier of hydrogen on our path to net-zero by 2050.”