June 13, 2024 [Squamish Chief]- Quantum Technology and New Times Energy (NTE) Discovery Park sign an MOU to build hydrogen plants in Campbell River, which will produce hydrogen for use in ferries, buses, trucks, trains and cars.
Squamish hydrogen company Quantum Technology has announced an agreement with a Campbell River-based company to develop a green hydrogen production plant within the Vancouver Island community.
New Times Energy (NTE) Discovery Park and Quantum signed a memorandum of understanding on June 3, to build the plant, which will produce about 15 metric tons per day of green hydrogen gas and liquid, in the first pilot phase.
The hydrogen, processed using renewable electricity, is intended to provide fuel for ferries, buses, trucks, trains and cars on Vancouver Island, Powell River and for the Vancouver market.
By replacing their current modes of fuel with hydrogen, these modes of transportation will be able to achieve zero CO2 emissions, thus mitigating the effects of climate change.
Other places are already doing this. The City of Edmonton has purchased and is testing new hydrogen-powered bus technology.
Hydrogen will also be blended as a small percentage of natural gas to further reduce CO2 emissions.
The plant will be in Discovery Park, an industrial site owned by the Campbell River company and located in that community.
“They’’re really excited about it—bringing green hydrogen to British Columbia is going to be a big game changer,” said Calvin Winter, president of Quantum Technology, noting he personally drives a Toyota Mirai, a hydrogen-powered car, and rides a hydrogen-powered bicycle.
To put the 15 tonnes per day in perspective, Winter said that is enough to fill up 3,000 cars per day.
“You would be filling roughly 300 trucks a day. So essentially, all of the truck transit, that’s going up and down the highway on Vancouver Island, could be hydrogen-powered.”
For marine vessels, too, like BC Ferries, the advantages of hydrogen are many, Winter said.
“A hydrogen fuel cell is silent. You just take hydrogen gas, and feed it into a fuel cell, and you have electricity and no noise and no commotion and no problems. Very reliable,” he said.
In terms of the blending of hydrogen with natural gas, Winter explained that in parts of Europe and Australia, natural gas is mixed with 15% hydrogen for use in homes for heat and for cooking.
“As hydrogen burns … it produces no carbon dioxide, so you can get a 15% reduction in your carbon dioxide footprint of the natural gas without any technology changes. You don’t have to change anything in the houses; you don’t have to change anything in the pipeline. It’s just compatible.”
Free Trial: Access 13,300 Tank Terminal and Production Facilities
13,300 tank storage and production facilities as per the date of this article. Click on the button and register to get instant access to actionable tank storage industry data
