Hydra Energy has secured its first paying customer for a reversible hydrogen retrofit kit, following three years and 200,000 kilometers of testing.

Prince George, B.C.-based Lodgewood Enterprises has taken delivery of the first of 12 trucks to be converted to Hydra’s hydrogen-diesel dual-combustion powertrain, which it says slashes emissions by 40% without compromising fuel economy, range, payload, torque or power. Lodgewood is a short- and longhaul fleet and will deploy the trucks on local routes.

The hydrogen will be produced locally by chemical producer Chemtrade as a byproduct at guaranteed prices below or equivalent to diesel, Hydra announced.

“As a fleet owner, it was an easy decision to adopt Hydra’s low-risk, co-combustion technology and to begin reducing emissions immediately without negatively impacting truck performance, warranty, and driver experience,” said Lodgewood president, Arlene Gagne. “Our converted fleet stands to reduce CO2 emissions by over 800 tonnes per year helping us also attract a newer, younger generation of drivers concerned with the environment. And we’ve lowered our fuel costs in the process. We’re proud to have one of the first hydrogen-converted trucks on the road and look forward to our continued partnership with Hydra.”

“This first truck delivery is not only a major milestone for Hydra but also for clean trucking overall and for Canada’s push for net-zero emissions by 2050,” added Hydra Energy CEO, Jessica Verhagen. “Hydrogen-fueled transportation is often talked about in the future, especially when it comes to truck fleets that can take years to turn over. We’ve proven with our innovative HaaS (hydrogen-as-a-service) business model and practical retrofit approach for existing trucks that scalable, affordable hydrogen-powered trucking is a reality today.”

Hydra’s business model involves installing the fully reversible hydrogen-diesel co-combustion conversion kits and the necessary fueling stations at no cost to the fleet.

“Lodgewood is the ideal first customer due to their location within B.C., their return-to-base routes, and their eagerness to adopt new technologies,” said Verhagen.

The fleet also benefited from funding from the CleanBC Heavy-Duty Vehicle Efficiency Program, and a 1,000-kg weight allowance increase by the province to offset the weight of the hydrogen equipment. Fleets in the Prince George area with round-trip routes of less than 1,000 kms are invited to test the truck. Reservations to do so can be made by emailing info@hydra-energy.ca.