Nikola Corporation has launched Alberta’s “first” hydrogen refuelling station in Canada, capable of longer-range trucks, buses and cars at the Blackjacks Roadhouse truck stop.
Using a 700-bar pressure HYLA modular fueller, the station will be situated along the Highway 2 in Leduc County – an important corridor connecting the Edmonton region and Calgary.
The station aligns with the 5,000 Hydrogen Vehicle Challenge, which aims to get 5,000 hydrogen-powered or dual fuel hydrogen vehicles on western Canada’s roads by 2028. As hydrogen demand grows, the Edmonton modular fueller will be replaced with a permanent facility and relocated to expand the network across Alberta.
The station is supported by PrairiesCan and advanced through collaboration with key stakeholders such as Nikola Motor Canada, Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA), Leduc County, Emissions Reduction Alberta, Blackjacks Roadhouse and Suncor – who are set to supply the hydrogen.
Once supplied, the hydrogen will be compressed into smaller volumes and dispensed into onboard storage for trucks, buses and cars. The station is expected to begin operations soon.
The station can meet the needs of approximately 96,000 vehicles that pass the Blackjacks Roadhouse diner every day and also refuel Nikola hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) in the Canadian market.
Brian Jean, the Minister of Energy and Minerals of Alberta, claimed hydrogen is the next step for the Canadian province.
“Projects like this demonstrate that we have the resources, expertise and interest in our province to drive innovation and become leading suppliers of responsibly produced clean hydrogen,” he added.
Nikola Corporation’s President of Energy, Ole Hoefelmann, stated the station will “propel western Canada towards a cleaner, hydrogen-driven transportation sector.”
Last April (2023), Nikola announced the sale of hydrogen FCEVs to AMTA which H2 View understands were delivered at the end of 2023 and incorporated into its Hydrogen Commercial Vehicle Demonstration Project.
Read more:Nikola to deliver hydrogen-powered vehicles to Canada
Commenting on the new hydrogen refuelling station, Doug Paisley, Board Chair of AMTA, said, “The commercial transportation industry is integral to Alberta’s prosperity, and widespread investments into a cleaner future will continue our province’s economic development.”
gasworld’s North American Hydrogen Summit 2024
Join the H2 View and gasworld teams in New Jersey on April 8-10, 2024, for the dual Decarbonisation Summit 2024 and North American Hydrogen Summit 2024.
The global industrial gas and equipment business has an imperative role to play in the future of clean fuels and decarbonisation. The energy transition simply won’t happen without it. And hydrogen has a key role to play.
