On November 16, 2023 the Government of BC announced a first-of-its-kind pilot program to kickstart the use of hydrogen in BC’s commercial trucking industry. $16.5 million from the Province will fund the BC Pilot Hydrogen Truck Project, which will deploy heavy-duty hydrogen fuel-cell electric trucks for a diverse range of fleet operators.

BC-based hydrogen-energy company and BCTA member HTEC will procure six different heavy-duty fuel-cell trucks and complete upgrades to a hydrogen-fuelling station in Tsawwassen and a maintenance facility in Abbotsford. 

HTEC designs, builds, and operates hydrogen production facilities, infrastructure, and supply. HTEC will buy, test and demonstrate the hydrogen-powered trucks for fleet operators throughout BC. The project also brings together Canada’s world-leading hydrogen and vehicle-technology companies. The Province’s funding for the pilot is being administered by the Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund.

“BCTA commends HTEC for spearheading a groundbreaking hydrogen trucking initiative. It’s a pioneering step toward a cleaner, sustainable future for commercial transportation,” said Dave Earle, President and CEO of the BC Trucking Association. “We take pride in HTEC’s leadership and innovation, and we eagerly anticipate the project results. BCTA is confident that this initiative will redefine the landscape of the trucking industry.”

Approximately 25% of BC’s total greenhouse-gas emissions is produced by the commercial transportation sector. Just under 70% of the province’s end-use energy demand is currently met through fossil fuels. Hydrogen-powered trucks do not produce any harmful emissions and have advantages over battery-electric trucks because they have longer range, faster refuelling and more power to pull larger payloads.

For more information:

Read about the BC Hydrogen Strategy here.

To find out more about HTEC, visit their website.