Hydra Energy Trains Installation Partner First Truck in Crucial Step Towards Low-Emission Heavy-Duty Adoption
DELTA, BC (18 JULY, 2023) - A 2024 Western Star has been converted in a record time of 10 hours to run with Hydra Energy’s hydrogen-diesel co-combustion retrofit kit. The installation was done at Hydra’s research facility in Delta, BC as part of a research and demonstration project intended to develop a training program for heavy duty mechanics in collaboration with First Truck Centre. The ultimate goal of developing this 4 day training program is to scale up Hydra’s vehicle conversion capacity through regional partners such as First Truck Centre with 13 facilities through Alberta and British Columbia. The training program will be validated and certified by technical safety authorities.
In February Hydra received a grant from Alberta Innovates Hydrogen Centre of Excellence for $550k that is supporting the company’s working to demonstrate to the Alberta market that the retrofit is make, model, and application agnostic. Over two years it will see three different types of heavy-duty vehicles converted showing the opportunity to rapid scale up in the transportation sector. Hydra’s resulting training program will be also created to ensure that the company’s system has a reliable network fleets can turn to for any maintenance needs.
“The grant from the Hydrogen Centre of Excellence has been instrumental for Hydra Energy. It has enabled us to showcase our technology, train technicians, and collaborate with key players in the Alberta trucking industry, fostering widespread adoption. The Centre plays a vital role in advancing Alberta's hydrogen economy by supporting the entire value chain and bridging innovation gaps. It serves as a connecting forum for researchers, academics, innovators, industry, and government, helping Alberta achieve its hydrogen ambitions and become a global leader in hydrogen utilization.”
The truck will be driven to Edmonton next, allowing Alberta-based First Truck Centre employees to see the converted vehicle firsthand. “Energy Transition in Canada is going to be guided by creative solution providers like Hydra,” said Rod Graham, President and CEO, First Truck Centre. “We are very pleased to be partnered with such a progressive group. This milestone conversion is just another important achievement on the journey to net zero.”
Other portions of the demonstration project include testing with the University of Alberta which is already underway, and facilitating technology adoption via the Early Adopters Funding Pool with Alberta based partners. It’s expected that over the two year period half a dozen students will receive training, 10 jobs will be generated in Alberta, and First Truck will add an additional 4 technicians and mechanics.
About Hydra Energy
Hydra Energy (Hydra) is the first company to deliver commercial hydrogen-diesel, co-combustion trucks on the road accelerating the transition to cleaner transport. The company’s unique Hydrogen-as-a-Service™ (HaaS™) approach converts existing heavy-duty vehicles at zero cost to fleet owners - in exchange for long-term, fuel contracts at diesel-equivalent prices - while offering licensees a way to profitably bring hydrogen to market at scale. By connecting low-carbon hydrogen supply and demand, Hydra and its partners deliver real hydrogen now and are committed to making the world run better and greener when it comes to goods transportation. For more information, please visit www.hydraenergy.com and follow the company on LinkedIn.
About First Truck
With 12 branches spread across Alberta and British Columbia, we have become the largest DTNA Elite support-certified group of facilities in Canada. First Truck Centre believes in fostering a better tomorrow through the power of one by offering various sales, vehicle maintenance, necessary parts, and collision services to the industry.
For more information, please visit firsttruck.ca and follow the company on LinkedIn.
