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Government of Canada invests $7.1 million in Hydrogen and HydrogenCompatible Technologies Demonstration Projects
The Government of Canada, through the h2 Early Adopters (h2EA) program, has made three investments in hydrogen and hydrogen compatible technologies demonstration projects. Led by consortia, these projects will demonstrate real-world applications for hydrogen technologies using systems and components provided by project partners.
The three project investments include $935,000 to a group led by Fuel Cell Technologies of Kingston, Ontario; a $2.1 million investment in a project spearheaded by Ballard Power Systems of Burnaby, British Columbia; and $4.2 million towards a demonstration by Hydrogenics Corporation of Mississauga, Ontario. Each of the projects will demonstrate unique applications utilizing fuel cells and hydrogen as a power supply, with the goal of increasing public and consumer awareness of the enormous potential hydrogen technologies offer for sustainable and environmentally friendly power generation.
Fuel Cell Technologies will showcase four 5kWe solid oxide hydrogen fuel cells arranged in a mini-grid formation to provide heating and power generation in a residential application. Partnering with the University of Toronto at Mississauga, and Ontario Power Generation Inc., this project will offer an exceptional educational opportunity to the students who will monitor the system, and has the potential of increased efficiencies and cost-savings for the University. In addition, it will assist in the development of standards and codes for the use and installation of fuel cells in residential applications.
A second project, led by Ballard Power Systems, is comprised of three distinct site-specific applications. Demonstrating back up power for critical loads in an industrial/commercial mixed used building setting; back up power for switching stations used by the telecommunications industry; and back up power for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) applications in server rooms; the demonstrations will take place at the National Research Council's Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation in Vancouver, B.C., a Bell Canada Facility in the Greater Toronto Area, and at the University of Toronto respectively.
A final project, already underway, will demonstrate hydrogen-fuelling solutions for utility vehicles at the Canadian National Exhibition site in Toronto. Led by Hydrogenics Corporation, the project will showcase advances in the area of equipment reliability for both hardware and software tools, as well as the feasibility of hydrogen and hydrogen compatible technologies for use in the utility vehicle, vehicle fleet operation and back-up power markets.
The investments made by the h2EA program, combined with the outreach and public awareness generated by these demonstration projects, the high profile nature of the consortia partners and the real-world applications being showcased, will contribute to the increased awareness and acceptance of hydrogen-based technologies across Canada.
A viable, environmentally friendly and sustainable power solution for the future, the Government of Canada has committed to the vision of a Hydrogen Economy in its Canadian Fuel Cell Commercialization Roadmap. Working with the hydrogen industry to demonstrate real-world applications for hydrogen technologies — with a goal of increasing acceptance and eventually encouraging use — these investments affirm this commitment.