Toronto

Pearson airport will be home to Ontario's 1st public hydrogen refuelling station

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Station will have capability for both cars and transport 

trucks, GTAA says

The Canadian Press · Posted: Jul 06, 2023 

Pearson's hydrogen refuelling station will be the sixth retail hydrogen station in the country, four of which are in British Columbia, and the fifth in Quebec, according to Natural Resources Canada. (Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press)

Toronto's Pearson International Airport will be home to Ontario's first public hydrogen refuelling station.

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) and Carlsun Energy announced in a news release Thursday that the refuelling station will have capability for both cars and transport trucks.

Carlsun will build, own and operate the station, which the two groups said is enabled by a $1 million investment from Natural Resources Canada.

The airport is an ideal location for the station, said Julie Dabrusin, the parliamentary secretary for the minister of natural resources and the minister of environment and climate change.

"Today's a pretty exciting day," she said at a news conference Thursday.

There are currently five retail hydrogen stations across the country, four of which are in British Columbia, and the fifth in Quebec, according to Natural Resources Canada. 

• How hydrogen could shake up Canada's energy sector

"With a significant share of Canada's emissions coming from the transportation sector in Ontario, it's imperative that we start deploying hydrogen infrastructure in transportation corridors," said Carlsun president Jason Van Geel in the news release.

"We truly hope this is the start of a rollout of stations along major transportation corridors across Ontario," Van Geel said at the news conference.

Competitive bid process to follow

He said initially, the company plans to talk to a wide variety of hydrogen suppliers through a competitive bid process, noting that hydrogen can be made in several ways including through fossil fuels or electricity. The goal of the project is to accelerate a path to low-carbon hydrogen at the station, he said.

Hydrogen is typically extracted from sources including water and methane, and can be used as a fuel in fuel-cell-powered electric vehicles. It's a clean-burning fuel, meaning it doesn't produce greenhouse gases or other pollutants.

The GTAA said the station is part of Pearson airport's commitment to clean and efficient energy solutions.

• Canada's first hydrogen train is taking passengers

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said in the news release that the new station will help ensure supply chains continue to grow amid the fight against climate change.

Natural Resources Canada's hydrogen strategy seeks to "position Canada as a world-leading producer, user and exporter of clean hydrogen, and associated technologies," according to the department's website.

The country signed a deal with Germany almost a year ago to help start a transatlantic hydrogen supply chain, with the first deliveries expected by 2025.