British Columbia will invest $16.5 million into a pilot program led by HTEC that will explore the use of hydrogen as a fuel for commercial trucking.

HTEC will use the Innovative Clean Energy funds to procure six different fuel-cell-electric trucks and complete upgrades to a hydrogen fueling station in Tsawwassen and a maintenance facility in Abbotsford.

“B.C. is already leading Canada in the switch to zero-emission vehicles for personal transportation, with a record number of British Columbians choosing to go electric,” said Josie Osborne, minister of energy, mines and low carbon innovation.

“Today’s announcement will kick start the use of hydrogen-powered trucks for commercial transportation across the province, helping to get businesses off fossil fuels and build a clean economy.”

Colin Armstrong, president and CEO of HTEC – a business that designs, builds and operates hydrogen production facilities and infrastructure — described the pilot project as a “remarkable leap” to a sustainable future.

“It marks the first-ever deployment of heavy-duty hydrogen fuel-cell electric trucks for a diverse range of fleet operators in the province, a historic moment for the trucking industry,” he said.

The province established a hydrogen policy in 2021, and its new Clean Energy and Major Projects Office announced in 2023 is now fully operational. This June it also announced $4 million for the B.C. Hydrogen Ports Project, introducing infrastructure such as a high-capacity fueling station that will initially support heavy-duty hydrogen-electric vehicles.

More than half of Canada’s hydrogen and fuel-cell companies like Ballard Power Systems and cellcentric are based in B.C., and the jurisdiction says it accounts for nearly 60% of research investments in hydrogen and fuel cells.