Canadian Transportation Fuel
Cell Alliance
The Canadian Transportation
Fuel Cell Alliance (CTFCA) is a partnership of 50 organizations whose
focus is to demonstrate and evaluate Canadian hydrogen fuelling options
for fuel cell vehicles. An initiative under Canada’s Action Plan
2000 on Climate Change, the CTFCA is providing $23 million of federal
funding over five years to evaluate and demonstrate fuelling systems for
light,  medium
and heavy duty vehicles, and to develop appropriate codes, standards and
testing procedures related to fuel cell and hydrogen technologies.
The CTFCA is comprised of a
Core Committee, which provides strategic and operational advice; a Project
Advisory Committee, which evaluates proposals; and five Working Groups,
which develop and implement projects in specific areas. This report highlights
progress made by the CTFCA Working Groups during fiscal year 2002/2003.
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Light Duty
Vehicle Fuelling Demonstration Working Group: develops
projects to demonstrate fuelling systems for automobiles and other
vehicles.
- Launched the CTFCA’s
first two demonstration projects, located at-Hydrogenics Corporation
in Mississauga, Ontario. The first is a-vehicle fuelling apparatus
and gas purification system for hydrogen produced from a natural
gas reforming system. The second project will incorporate the
company’s proprietary water electrolysis system into a-mobile
hydrogen fuelling system. Several additional proposals for fuelling
demonstrations are in development
and expected to be finalized next fiscal year.
- Established a formal
link with the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic-bid. Sustainable transportation
was a cornerstone of the-winning bid.
Heavy Duty
Vehicle Fuelling Demonstration Working Group: develops
proposals to demonstrate large hydrogen fuelling systems, mainly
for transit buses.
- Established a working
relationship with the Northeast Advanced Vehicle Coalition in
Boston, a leading group for developing and administering procurement
support programs for fuel cell buses in-the US.
- Developing
a request for proposals for a Fuel Cell Transit Bus Study. The-study
is intended to assist transit operators in making the transition
from diesel powered fleets to fuel cell powered fleets.
- Developing
proposals for fuelling demonstrations.
Codes and Standards
Working Group: development of national and international
standards for hydrogen fuel and fuelling systems, in addition
to related safety, training and certification concerns. Its five-year
work plan identifies three primary areas: codes and standards,
information documents for stakeholders, and training and certification.
- Prepared a
document outlining the regulatory and standards process
in-Canada.
- Began planning
a proposal for a virtual fuelling station.
- Contacted the
US Department of Energy to establish a joint approach for siting
distance criteria for hydrogen fuelling stations.
- Working with
the Canadian Association of Motive Power Educators to develop
training and certification courses.
- A technical
committee under the auspices of the Bureau de normalisation du
Québec was established to develop a Canadian Hydrogen Installation
Code.
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Studies and
Assessments Working Group: provides research and policy
advice on potential fuelling pathways, and also on the economic,
energy and-emissions consequences of various feedstock and processes
for hydrogen production.
- Completed
Phase I of the Electrical Capacity Study, which examines cost,
supply and resulting emissions of electricity produced via electrolysis
for the years 2010 and 2020. Phase II of-the study, which will
analyse the key parameters of Phase 1, is-expected to be completed
in-2004.
- Participating
in a study with the Institute of Transportation Studies (University
of California at Davis), which focuses on market research, design
and analysis of hydrogen fuelling stations and the distribution
infrastructure.
- The Environmental
Labelling for Hydrogen in Canada study was completed. This report
summarizes existing environmental label mechanisms for other products,
evaluates environmental labelling options for hydrogen fuel, and
recommends procedures to develop a-label for hydrogen fuel.
- Ernst and Young
was awarded a contract to perform an economic analysis of seven
hydrogen fuelling pathways and-determine which policy tools would
best allow these technologies to compete with gasoline and diesel.
- Several hydrogen
fuelling pathways were added to Natural Resources Canada’s
GHGenius model, which is used to assess lifecycle emissions of
fuelling pathways.
Communications
Working Group: communicates the activities of the CTFCA,
provides on-going communications advice and support to other CTFCA
Working Groups, and promotes Canada’s fuel cell and hydrogen
industry.
- Announced the
CTFCA’s first two demonstration projects in-co-operation
with Hydrogenics Corporation.
- Produced a
CTFCA kit folder, masthead, annual report and-fact-sheet.
- Developed guidelines
for application and an application form for CTFCA-funded communications
products.
- Collaborated
with the National Research Council, Industry Canada and Fuel Cells
Canada to develop education courses on-hydrogen and fuel cell
technologies.
- Co-produced
a display and a brochure for the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells 2003
Conference and Trade Show in Vancouver.
- Produced a
Catalogue of Worldwide Hydrogen Fuelling Demonstrations in collaboration
with Fuel Cells Canada.
- Developing
an information bulletin for regulatory officials in-collaboration
with the Codes and Standards Working Group.
- Updating the
CTFCA website in an effort to achieve a comprehensive source of
information for the Alliance’s members, stakeholders and
the-public.
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For
more information visit http://ctfca.nrcan.gc.ca
or contact Richard Fry, Program Manager, Fuel Cell Infrastructure, Natural
Resources Canada: 613.943.2258 or rifry@nrcan.gc.ca |