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GREEN Hydrogen refuelling station in Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Val-d’Or (Quebec), July 5th, 2022 – Hydrolux unveils “Project 117″

Project 117 will equip Route 117 corridor with two green hydrogen refuelling stations allowing heavy-duty trucks to connect the greater Montreal area and Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

These green hydrogen refuelling stations will be located in the surroundings of Val-d’Or and Saint-Jérôme and will have the capacity to refuel heavy-duty trucks with pressures of 350 bar or 700 bar.

« Project 117 is an innovative project, developed by Quebecers, for Quebecers, which will make it possible to decarbonize, thanks to green hydrogen, a strategic road for the economic development of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, the greater Montréal region and the Province of Québec »,   –   declares Friedrich Dehem-Lemelin, CEO of Hydrolux.

Have your cake and eating it too

The main clientele for this type of fuel is long-distance heavy trucking, even if some believe that it can cater to all types of vehicles. We are talking about electric vehicles that have hydrogen fuel cells, which means a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen that produces electrical energy while releasing water into the atmosphere.

 

What are the advantages of this technology?

 

  • The first one is that this technology is considered clean in Quebec. It is produced from renewable electricity.
  • Unlike recharging a battery, filling up with hydrogen (which is a gas) is much quicker.
  • The fuel cell loses little efficiency in cold weather. 
  • The autonomy of a hydrogen fuel cell SUV is on average between 500 and 650 km. We talk about new generations that can reach 1000 km of autonomy.
  • The use of the product is rather quiet.

 

Drawbacks can be listed as follows:

 

  • There are few service or filling stations.
  • The risk associated to the product.
  • More expensive to use than a lithium battery that you would plug in at the residence.
  • The duration of the reaction unit components have a shorter average lifespan than internal combustion engine.

 

The Hydrolux project is addressing the long-haul trucking industry. This is the industry that will have the most challenge in going green.

The traditional battery cannot effectively meet the needs of this type of transportation, which is condemned to a limited urban market in terms of range. The hydrogen battery is a promising solution.

For a remote location such as ours, with notions of long distance and great temperature ranges, hydrogen proves to be a green and better adapted alternative.

However, we have yet to achieve population acceptability in this case.  People are looking for alternatives without compensation.

We want to have our cake and eat it too.

At what point are we ready to leave the comfort of the known for the potential of the unknown?

The discussion is open.

Jean-Yves Poitras,
Commissaire au développement industriel

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