Alberta Zero Emission Hydrogen Transit (AZEHT)

The City of Edmonton


Project Type

Demonstration

Project Value

$9,860,000

Project Status

Active

Location

Alberta

Funding Amount

$4,631,327

The Alberta Zero Emission Hydrogen Transit (AZEHT) project will demonstrate two hydrogen fuel cell electric buses (FCEB) to be used in road trials shared by the municipalities of Edmonton, Strathcona County, with the active participation of Calgary, and Banff/Bow Valley. The AZEHT project will give Alberta municipalities hands-on experience with the FCEB technology and position them to prepare strong proposals to the transit electrification program of the Canadian Infrastructure Bank or similar agencies. Assuming a positive experience, this initiative will increase demand for H2 and support the deployment of economically viable fueling stations and distribution systems in the province. This is necessary in a transition to a hydrogen economy that will achieve emission reductions, economic growth, and job creation.

The project includes the purchase of two FCEBs from New Flyer, integrated with one of Ballard’s commercially tested fuel cell electric engines. Road testing is needed to demonstrate the technology’s capabilities under Alberta conditions. Fuel for this project will be initially supplied directly by Suncor Energy with the systems set up for the Alberta Zero Emission Truck Electrification Collaboration (AZETEC) project, which is demonstrating class 8 fuel cell trucks, using hydrogen produced in the Alberta Industrial Heartland. The AZEHT project will be supplied intially through daily re-fueling at the AZETEC project’s fueling site at 801 Petroleum Way. Fueling will be performed 7 days a week and Edmonton and Strathcona demonstrations will be approximately 23 months each. The AZEHT project will monitor the performance of the FCEBs and compare with diesel, CNG and battery electric alternatives. Data collected will assist with the development and execution of commercialization strategies. The co-development of zero-emission fleet transition plans have also been included to ensure there are credible commercial pathways to transitioning fleets to zero-emission buses.