New consortium aims to spark B.C.’s low-carbon hydrogen economy
New consortium aims to spark B.C.’s low-carbon hydrogen economy
Group will support provincial efforts to establish Metro Vancouver as hydrogen hub.
Nearly a year after it was founded, the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) is launching a new initiative of its own to spur investment for hydrogen demand and infrastructure development. Last week, it announced the B.C. Hydrogen Changemakers Consortium – yes, we’ll be using its acronym, BCHCC, from here on out – a new organization meant to drive B.C.’s low-carbon hydrogen economy forward.
The consortium is part of CICE's previously announced Hydrogen Blueprint Investment, which the organization says will lay a foundation for the establishment of a hydrogen hub in Metro Vancouver, co-locating hydrogen supply and demand.
BCHCC will focus on driving British Columbia's hydrogen industry by helping accelerate demand and supporting infrastructure for the development of hydrogen hubs.
“This launch sends a strong signal to investors that B.C. is a pivotal market in the low-carbon hydrogen economy,” said Yemi Adefulu, deputy executive director at CICE.
As Vancouver Tech Journal has previously reported, B.C. is already an established leader in hydrogen technology. To that end, this new group consists of members who are developers or funders of active hydrogen demand and infrastructure projects in the province.
BCHCC members currently include Ballard Power Systems, Capilano Maritime Design Ltd., Climate Action Secretariat, Fort Capital, FortisBC, Geazone Eco-Courier, Hydra Energy, HTEC, Innovative Clean Energy Fund, InBC Investment Corp., Modo, Parkland Refining, Powertech Labs, and TransLink.
"The Consortium is made up of champions who are leading B.C. to a greener, cleaner future by establishing key partnerships across B.C.'s clean energy transition," Adefulu added.
In announcing the consortium, CICE spotlighted the work of HTEC, a company working on heavy-duty hydrogen vehicle fuel supply infrastructure. For their efforts, HTEC is a recipient of CICE funding to accelerate the development of its innovation, which has the potential to reduce emissions from transportation and benefit multiple industries such as pulp and paper, port operations, and transit.
“CICE's support will add significant momentum to our project planning phase allowing us to further understand client requirements and develop hydrogen infrastructure solutions for the heavy-duty sector in Canada, starting with B.C,” said Colin Armstrong, president and CEO of HTEC, which also recently received $5 million from the federal government’s Business Scale-up and Productivity program.
“The B.C. Hydrogen Changemakers Consortium is an important next step to help spur innovative new hydrogen projects in the province and will accelerate our progress building a cleaner, more sustainable economy for everyone in B.C.," said George Heyman, the province’s minister of environment and climate change strategy.
He added, “Supporting hydrogen innovation and deployment, especially in industry and transportation, will help reduce emissions and meet our climate and clean energy goals, while also putting B.C. on the map to attract global investment to the province."
CICE is encouraging companies with investment opportunities for current or upcoming demand infrastructure projects to contact the consortium.