Alberta is eyeing a boost in hydrogen vehicles, pointing to their potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But with this objective comes a dilemma – the need for a concurrently developed fueling infrastructure.

At the recent Canadian Hydrogen Convention, various hydrogen-fueled buses and trucks were showcased. Both Edmonton and Strathcona County operate a hydrogen bus as part of a pilot project. There’s also an ongoing test run using a hydrogen fuel cell electric truck for long-haul trips between Edmonton and Calgary. The future trials will include a loaded trailer for a more realistic evaluation.

There’s an initiative to put 5,000 hydrogen or dual fuel vehicles on the road in western Canada by 2028. This poses a classic ‘chicken or egg’ question: Which should come first, the fueling stations or the vehicles?

In order to meet demand, the province inaugurated Alberta’s first commercial hydrogen fuelling station last month, and more are coming. U.S. firm Air Products is planning to construct a network of such stations between Edmonton and Calgary. The details of costs and completion dates are yet to be clarified, but the plan is underway, and future stations will be designed to fuel up to 200 heavy-duty trucks or 2000 cars each day.

However, the cost of hydrogen vehicles is a significant factor in their adoption. Compared to a diesel vehicle, a hydrogen vehicle can be around four times more expensive. Therefore, appropriate federal incentives and a provincial program in Alberta could aptly encourage more companies.

Expansion of the hydrogen vehicle numbers and fueling infrastructure is expected over the next two years as part of an ongoing process. The government of Alberta has also unveiled additional funding for hydrogen transportation projects. This includes money set aside for testing new fueling systems, developing infrastructure for hydrogen-fueled public transit, and assisting Calgary’s pilot project for hydrogen vehicles and equipment.