Canadian companies specializing in hydrogen fuel cells have not yet managed to attract mainstream attention. But, little by little, things are changing.
In April 2021, the company Loop Energy, based in Vancouver, western Canada, announced that a German freight transport company would order twenty hydrogen fuel cells from it for its fleet of electric trucks. The announcement went almost unnoticed. It is true that the order placed by Rheintal-Transporte over the next two years hardly suggests a green revolution in energy. George Rubin, sales manager at Loop Energy, said: “The number of fuel cells is not massive. We’re talking about 10 trucks here, and 20 there. But what you’re seeing now are the first customer’s numbers, which is why that number might not seem like a big deal. »
A complex but promising technology
After 20 years of research and development, Loop Energy begins commercializing its eFlow hydrogen fuel cells. In February 2021, the company raised 100 million Canadian dollars via a public offering issued by the Toronto Stock Exchange which set the share price at 16 dollars.
For many, fuel cell technology, which is trying to catch up with the lithium-ion battery in electric cars as a variable for zero-emission vehicles, is whether hydrogen will truly – and finally – take off.
George Rubin explains: “The adoption of fuel cells is entering an important shift. In a complicated context, with the introduction of hydrogen, the fuel itself, but also the infrastructure that must be developed, we have the impression of being ten years back, at the time of the first batteries for electric vehicles. »
Today, when we talk about batteries for electric vehicles, we inevitably think of Tesla, which receives lots of laudatory comments for its cars, its know-how and its technology. On the other hand, companies specializing in fuel cells have not yet captured the attention of the general public and are still far from the status that Elon Musk’s company can have.
In Canada, Vancouver has gradually become a real hub for fuel cells. It is here that Loop Energy and especially Ballard Power Systems are located. These two companies are developing large applications first and foremost for the truck, rail, commercial ship and aviation sectors. According to them, this sector is ideal for the use of fuel cells.
Like Loop Energy, Ballard Power Systems benefited from a favorable market. It also entered into a joint venture agreement with Chinese state-owned Weichai Power. The Chinese government has also indicated that it hopes to see one million hydrogen vehicles on the roads by 2030.
Hydrogen therefore seems to be taking off. At the start of 2021, two analysts from the Canadian bank BMO published a report in which they indicated that the time for fuel cells for medium and heavy freight transport may have arrived. There are, however, two pitfalls: the public financing necessary for the development of infrastructure and the need to produce green hydrogen, that is to say completely decarbonized, because it is produced with renewable energies. But despite its two obstacles, BMO analysts concluded that fuel cell technology was on the horizon, and that it was a major alternative to diesel-powered trucks, particularly in the heavy-haul segment. of goods.
From the production of hydrogen to that of heavy goods vehicles
In the race to produce fuel cells, the Nikola Corporation has signed a partnership with the gas and oil giant TC Energy to create hydrogen production hubs in the United States and Canada and to accelerate the adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles. “This collaboration with TC Energy aims to produce enough hydrogen, and at a competitive price, to drive customer adoption and use of fuel cell electric vehicles,” Nikola said.
The two companies will design, build and manage hydrogen production plants over the next five years. The goal is to produce 150 tonnes of clean hydrogen per day, intended for trucks and Canadian energy companies.
“This partnership is a way to identify and expand our customer base as the hydrogen economy grows and will continue to grow for years to come,” said Corey Hesse, vice president of TC Energy. .
For its part, Nikola is continuing its partnership policy. The company has partnered with OPAL Fuels, a supplier of renewable natural gas. In June 2021, Nikola purchased a $50 million stake in a plant owned by Indiana Hydrogen. In 2020, the company signed an agreement to purchase Arizona’s surplus electricity at low cost to reuse it to produce hydrogen through carbon-free electrolysis.
Nikola also develops trucks for transporting goods. Several projects are also underway, including a semi-trailer for 2024.
In this sector, Nikola is not alone: Toyota, Hino, Hyundai Motor, Volvo, Daimler, Cummins, General Motors and Navistar also have projects. These companies also indicate that hydrogen is better suited to heavy goods vehicles, which travel hundreds of kilometers per day, than electric batteries, which are extremely heavy.
