B.C.-based Hydra Energy is looking to develop a commercial hydrogen fuelling station on Sintich Road in the BCR Site.
On Monday night, city council approved the first two readings of a rezoning bylaw to subdivide the proposed site – an undeveloped lot at 9048 Sintich Road, near the intersection of Sintich and Northern Crescent.
David McWalter of McWalter Consulting Company Ltd., which is representing the property owner, said a drive-through, cardlock-style fuelling station capable of serving roughly 100 commercial vehicles per day is envisioned on the site.
“They hope to be up and running by the spring of 2023,” McWalter said. “This is a prototype for Hydra. They hope to have one in every community in B.C.”
The company intends to produce hydrogen locally to supply the fuelling station, he said. The light-weight flammable gas will be stored above ground.
Once complete, the fuelling station will be paved, landscaped, fenced and lit, McWalter said. No other on-site services are planned, he added.
In a presentation to city council on Monday night, city director of planning and development Deanna Wasnik said her understanding is the hydrogen would be transported by tanker truck to the site, and the mobile tanks would then be used to fuel the vehicles.
No below-grade tanks are envisioned on the site, she added.
Before the proposal comes back to city council for final reading of the rezoning bylaw, the city will conduct a public consultation process and the proponent will be required to provide a servicing briefing for the site.
“Hydrogen is part of the future here in Prince George,” Coun. Garth Frizzell said. “As Canada and B.C. move to a decarbonized economy, part of the future is hydrogen.”
In October, local trucking firm Lodgewood Enterprises announced it had taken delivery of a hydrogen-diesel hybrid semi-truck and had 11 more converted trucks on order. The hydrogen-diesel hybrids were anticipated to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40 per cent over conventional diesel-only trucks, while reducing fuel costs.
In February 2021, Hydra Energy signed a deal with Chemtrade Logistics to collect, clean and compress hydrogen produced as an industrial waste product at Chemtrade’s Prince George facility.
- With files from Mark Nielsen
