May 6th, 2019 – Josh Kilner/North Shore News
Hydrogen Technology and Energy Corporation CEO Colin Armstrong speaks with North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA Bowinn Ma about hydrogen vehicles at the groundbreaking ceremony held Friday at the Westview 7-11 in North Vancouver. photo Mike Wakefield, North Shore News
Ottawa has announced new funding for two retail hydrogen refuelling stations in the Lower Mainland.
Joe Peschisolido, MP for Steveston–Richmond East, announced Friday that Natural Resources Canada will provide $2 million dollars to the Hydrogen Technology and Energy Corporation, through the Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative.
“Our government continues to provide Canadians — including British Columbians — with cleaner travel and shipping options,” stated Peschisolido, in a news release. “We are making strategic investments to make it easier and more affordable for Canadians to choose zero-emission and alternative-fuel vehicles to reduce costs, improve air quality and cut pollution.”
The funding is part of the federal government’s $182.5 million dollar plan to develop a coast-to-coast fast charging network for electric cars, while also establishing natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations.
Peschisolido made the announcement in North Vancouver at the Westview Shopping Centre 7-11, the proposed site of the first hydrogen refuelling station on the North Shore.
The B.C. government will contribute an additional $1 million through the Clean Energy Vehicle Program as part of the CleanBC plan, which aims to ensure that all new light-duty cars and trucks are zero-emission by 2040.
“Today’s announcement moves B.C. further forward towards building our hydrogen fuelling station network, putting this province on a path that powers our future with clean, renewable energy,” stated Bowinn Ma, MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale, in the release.
The federal government aims to ensure that 10 per cent of the light-duty vehicles sold in Canada are zero-emission by 2025, 30 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2040.