The Alberta Zero-Emissions Fleet Fueling (AZEFF) project will see Edmonton Region municipalities seek to enable the adoption of hydrogen fuel for heavy-duty fleet vehicles such as transit buses, Class 8 semi-trucks, and Class 7-8 vocational trucks such as dump trucks, refuse trucks, and plow trucks. The AZEFF will cultivate a comprehensive understanding of obstacles within the hydrogen value chain that impede its adoption while actively collaborating with crucial stakeholders throughout the value chain to surmount these barriers.
The AZEFF project will:
- Build a re-deployable transitional fueling system to bridge the gap between existing pilot stations (~200 kg H2/day) and permanent large-scale stations (~4000 kg H2/day).
- Determine the practicality of vehicle technology pathways for heavy-duty municipal fleet vehicles, such as Battery Electric, Hydrogen-Diesel Dual Fuel, Hydrogen Internal Combustion, and Fuel Cell.
- Demonstrate and validate at least one vehicle technology pathway and provide an on-road emissions monitoring and performance validation, and a maintenance and repair profile.
- Develop an operational implementation plan to address supporting infrastructure uncertainties. This includes inspection/certification requirements, workforce training requirements, a fleet transition strategy and a feasibility study for vehicle storage and servicing facilities.
This valuable project will serve key municipalities within the Province of Alberta to gain familiarity with the technology/fuel, present us with an opportunity to collect Alberta specific data and provide confidence for much larger orders of hydrogen-powered zero-emission fleets.