Ontario hydrogen advocates and policymakers gathered at Elemental Trucks in Etobicoke, Ont., on June 10 to reaffirm their commitment to the alternative fuel, and they did so in front of a soon-to-be-launched heavy-haul truck that will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
Elemental Trucks showed a 63-tonne GVWR truck that will be introduced to the market next year. Constructed in Ontario, the truck is built on a Peterbilt glider chassis that will be equipped with fuel cells and gaseous hydrogen cylinders, capable of hauling heavy payloads with zero tailpipe emissions.
“It’s the only [zero-emission] truck with that kind of weight rating in North America,” Jamie Ally, CEO of Elemental Trucks told trucknews.com. “It has a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain with 360 kW of hydrogen fuel cell power and an electric drivetrain designed for what Canada needs. Canada operates a lot of 63-tonne trucks. There’s no other manufacturer currently making a commercially available zero-emission truck with that weight rating, because everybody’s focused on the much larger U.S. market. So, that’s the niche we’re trying to occupy.”
The truck will be built in Canada and can be powered by fuel cells from various suppliers. “We are agnostic, but we do need a lot of power on board,” Ally said, noting it hasn’t yet inked exclusivity deals with any truck OEMs or fuel cell providers.
The hydrogen tanks will be mounted to the back of the cab and hydrogen stored at 700 bar. In Ontario, hydrogen fueling stations for heavy trucks are located at Pearson International Airport and ITD Industries in Etobicoke, though the latter is up for auction as part of Nikola Motors’ bankruptcy proceedings.
However, Ally said more hydrogen fueling stations are coming online in the near future. When the truck enters production next year, Ally said Elemental will initially target B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, as those will be the provinces with a ready supply of hydrogen fuel for heavy trucks.
“We all know commercial vehicles are on track to become the largest source of on-road greenhouse gas emissions and it’s one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize,” Ally told the crowd. “That’s why Elemental Trucks is focused on developing real solutions for that sector – zero-emission vehicles with long range, heavy payload capacity and faster fueling. Hydrogen will be a cornerstone of Canada’s clean energy transition and we’re committed to helping lead that charge.”
And that’s why the province chose Elemental Trucks as a backdrop for its own hydrogen announcements.
Ontario reinforces commitment to hydrogen
“Ontario is taking bold action to build an energy system that supports jobs and powers the province’s economic growth – now and for generations to come,” said Sam Oosterhoff, associate minister of energy-intensive industries, who attended the event. “Hydrogen is already proving its value in Ontario, and we’re backing it as an important part of our diverse, reliable and clean energy mix – one that creates good jobs, strengthens manufacturing and builds a more self-reliant province.”
To support the expansion of hydrogen fueling opportunities, the province announced a new Hydrogen Interruptible Rate Pilot (H2 IRP), which will offer hydrogen producers discounted electricity rates if they reduce consumption during peak demand periods. Creating hydrogen is a costly and energy-intensive process, but the pilot looks to bring down production costs by incentivizing off-peak production.
The province also announced it will explore options to regulate dedicated hydrogen pipelines in the province, to get the fuel from producers to where it’s needed by end users.
It also announced an expansion of its Hydrogen Innovation Fund, previously announced in March, which provides an additional $30 million in funding to kickstart hydrogen production and consumption. One of the two streams under the program will be used to support the broader use of hydrogen in transportation and heavy industry.
Oosterhoff said during his remarks that a Natural Resources Canada report suggests a hydrogen economy could create up to 135,000 jobs across Canada by 2025, while eliminating 50 megatonnes of emissions each year.
“In order to reach these ambitious goals, we’re going to see more roles for hydrogen in production, in infrastructure, in storage and in clean technology development,” Oosterhoff said.
Althaus receives King’s Coronation Medal
Oosterhoff then presented Maike Althaus, executive director of Hydrogen Ontario, with the King Charles III’s Coronation Medal, which commemorates King Charles III as King of Canada.
Eligible candidates must have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province or region within Canada.
“I have the privilege as an MPP of being able to select three recipients who I’ve worked with in the energy sector for the King’s Coronation medal,” Oosterhoff said as he presented the medal to Althaus. “It was an easy selection that you would be one of the recipients.”
