British Columbia became the first province in Canada to release a comprehensive hydrogen strategy last week.
The BC Hydrogen Strategy, which was drafted by Clean BC included 63 actions for government, industry, and innovators. The strategy consists of short term (2020-2025), medium term (2025-2030 and long term (2030 and beyond) goals.
The immediate priorities of the strategy include:
- Scaling up production of renewable hydrogen
- Establishing regional hydrogen hubs throughout the province
- Deploying medium and heavy-duty fuel-cell vehicles throughout the province
In addition, some of the highlights of the strategy include:
- Creating the BC Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy
- Establishing a regulatory framework for carbon capture and storage
- Incentivizing the production of low-carbon hydrogen, which is also renewable
Moreover, the strategy is part of a larger British Columbia incentive to have net-zero emissions in the province by 2050.
Finally, the BC Government is supporting the strategy and has already invested money into the initiative. As of Budget 2021, the province included $10 million to develop a policy on reducing the carbon intensity of fuel and advancing the hydrogen economy.
The creation of the hydrogen strategy does not mean the province is giving up on battery electric vehicles (BEVs). In fact, the report states that hydrogen will likely only be used for sectors of the economy where direct electrification doesn’t make sense.
“Because of its versatility, hydrogen is one of the only solutions for decarbonizing sectors of the economy where direct electrification is not practical, such as heavy-duty transportation and industrial heat. Hydrogen can be used in fuel cells to produce energy for transportation and stationary power systems, especially important for industrial sites and remote communities powered by diesel.”
You can read the full B.C. Hydrogen Strategy here.
Source: Green Car Congress
