In addition to supplying certified hydrogen fuel, Air Liquide designed, built, operates and maintains the fueling station that will keep BC’s new fleet of fuel cell buses on the move. It will be the largest hydrogen fueling station in the world, with the capacity to fill 23 buses per day.
Air Liquide worked alongside Canadian companies Sacre-Davey Group, Hydrogen Technology and Energy Corporation, and Hydrogenics to bring this project to completion.
‘Air Liquide’s initiative in this world-leading project represents another step in our strategy to actively develop Canada’s hydrogen energy supply and infrastructure,’ says Luc Doyon, President and CEO of Air Liquide Canada.
Hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles produce no greenhouse gas emissions, and can be twice as efficient as internal combustion engines. Operation of the 20 fuel cell buses will save more than 1800 tonnes of emissions over the course of a year. In the 20-year lifespan of these buses, that means eliminating over 36 000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
More than 40 Air Liquide hydrogen stations have been installed around the world. Other Canadian programs include Vancouver and Montreal airports, which are installing hydrogen stations to supply fuel cell and hydrogen internal combustion engined passenger and utility vehicles.
Air Liquide has also been chosen to supply two hydrogen fueling stations in South Korea, designed and developed by the group’s Advanced Technologies teams.
Air Liquide is coordinating the European Hychain-Minitrans program, which is field testing a range of hydrogen vehicles in four European regions. The group is also coordinating the Horizon Hydrogen Energy (H2E) program, which is supported by the French agency for innovation, OSEO.