ACCELERATING THE B.C. HYDROGEN ECONOMY
Launch of B.C. Hydrogen Changemakers Consortium to drive investment for hydrogen demand and infrastructure development
VANCOUVER, BC, June 9, 2022 /CNW/ - The British Columbia (B.C.) Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) is partnering with businesses and government organizations to drive B.C.'s low-carbon hydrogen economy forward, with the launch of the B.C. Hydrogen Changemakers Consortium (BCHCC).
The partnership was announced at last night's official Consortium launch event hosted by CICE and attended by leading B.C. hydrogen players, investors, and government officials. The Consortium launch is part of CICE's previously announced Hydrogen Blueprint Investment, which will lay a foundation for the establishment of a hydrogen hub in Metro Vancouver, co-locating hydrogen supply and demand.
The Consortium will focus on driving British Columbia's hydrogen industry by helping accelerate demand and supporting infrastructure for the development of hydrogen hubs.
"CICE is proud to convene the B.C. Hydrogen Changemakers Consortium, bringing together industry leaders to help catalyze investment," says Yemi Adefulu, Deputy Executive Director at CICE. "This launch sends a strong signal to investors that B.C. is a pivotal market in the low-carbon hydrogen economy."
With B.C. as an already established leader in hydrogen technology, the Consortium consists of stakeholders who are developers or funders of active hydrogen demand and infrastructure projects in the province.
"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 Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, George Heyman. "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."
"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," says Adefulu.
The group is expected to grow as projects and collaborations increase. To date, the Consortium members 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.
Fueling the drive towards that greener, cleaner future with hydrogen is HTEC, who are successful recipients of CICE funding. This funding will be used to accelerate the planning for HTEC's heavy-duty hydrogen vehicle fuel supply infrastructure and fleet deployment efforts in the province. HTEC's project has the potential to significantly reduce emissions from transportation and benefit multiple industries such as pulp and paper, port operations, and transit while supporting many elements of Canada's hydrogen strategy.
"Hydrogen's potential to help Canada attain its net-zero goal by 2050 is irrefutable. And, decarbonizing one of the most difficult-to-abate sectors, heavy-duty transportation, is a critical element needed to meet this goal," said Colin Armstrong, President and CEO of HTEC. "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."
"Renewable and low-carbon opportunities such as hydrogen play a crucial role in helping B.C. achieve its emission targets," says Dave Bennett, Director of Renewable Gas and Low Carbon Fuels at FortisBC. "To leverage the potential of hydrogen with the existing gas infrastructure we have in place, partnerships in the industry are vital and FortisBC is thrilled to work with likeminded champions in the Consortium."
"The launch of this Consortium signifies that hydrogen will play a critical role in the decarbonization of energy, mobility and industry in B.C.," says Nicolas Pocard, Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships at Ballard Power Systems. "This is a new era of a global transition to clean energy with growing opportunities for investment in the hard-to-abate mobility sectors and continue Ballard's mission to deliver fuel cell power for a sustainable planet."
CICE is encouraging companies with investment opportunities for current or upcoming demand infrastructure projects that can drive hydrogen hub development in B.C. to join the Consortium. For more information, contact [email protected].
Founded by the Government of British Columbia, Shell, and supported by the Canadian Federal Government, the B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) is an independent nonprofit that takes decisive and urgent action to enable clean energy breakthroughs in BC that will help the province get to net zero, and beyond. CICE's most important stakeholder is the planet; their purpose is first and foremost to protect and preserve the Earth for generations to come. Together with their members, CICE enables clean innovation like the future of the planet depends on it. Because it does. In May 2022, CICE announced the launch of a Hydrogen Investment Blueprint in Metro Vancouver. To learn more, visit us at www.cice.ca or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
SOURCE B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy
Media Enquiries Contact, B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy, [email protected]
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