Through an Integrated Marketplace project led by Innovate BC, new zero and low-emission heavy-duty (HDZEV) trucks will be integrated into operations at the Port of Prince Rupert.
This initiative aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainability in British Columbia’s transportation sector.
The HDZEV project will introduce four new trucks: two hydrogen-powered, one battery-electric, and one hydrogen-diesel co-combustion. These trucks will be used on existing operational routes to collect data on their range, reliability, and optimal use cases.
“The Integrated Marketplace acts as a platform for partners like Prince Rupert Port Authority, which are key contributors to British Columbia’s economic growth, to de-risk the adoption of new technologies while supporting the decarbonization and innovation goals of their organizations and the province,” stated Peter Cowan, president and CEO of Innovate BC.
Innovate BC is facilitating the project through the Integrated Marketplace, which enhances innovation in the province by connecting strategic buyers from some of British Columbia’s largest economic sectors with local solution providers.
This initiative helps implement, scale, and eventually export B.C. technology solutions. The Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA), which manages the Port of Prince Rupert, is serving as the testbed partner for this project.
Cowan added, “We are proud to lead this project and look forward to seeing its outcomes and generated data inform the greater adoption of zero-emission vehicles across more industrial sectors here in B.C.”
Alongside the US$1.78 million contributed by the Government of British Columbia, the Government of Canada has provided US$2.1 million, and PRPA has added US$363,310 to support this project.
The funding will be allocated to procuring the zero- and low-emission vehicles and establishing the essential fuelling, charging, and maintenance infrastructure, including electric vehicle chargers and local green hydrogen production.
“This partnership between governments, industry and B.C. businesses will help accelerate the Port of Prince Rupert’s continued progress toward decarbonizing port operations and to enable greater competitiveness and sustainability for Canadian supply chains. The utilization of zero and low-emission vehicles is a key component of the Prince Rupert Port Authority’s strategy for reducing port-related carbon emissions by a further 30% by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050,” commented Shaun Stevenson, president & CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority.
Other project partners include Velocity Truck Centres, which will assist with the purchase and maintenance of the hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen-diesel co-combustion, and battery-electric class eight heavy-duty trucks. The trucks will be operated by Gat Leedm Logistics and partially powered by Delta-based Hydra Energy, which will supply hydrogen fuel for the participating trucks. NuPort Robotics will handle hardware installation and lead data collection and reporting to support performance metrics, data acquisition, and analytics for the project.
Vehicle testing will provide critical information about the trucks’ performance, technical capabilities, and operational feasibility. The project will run until the end of 2026.
The Integrated Marketplace operates through partnerships with major testbed sites, including the Port of Prince Rupert, Vancouver International Airport (YVR), and the Port of Vancouver.
Furthermore, the launch of the HDZEV project at the Port of Prince Rupert follows the announcement of Moment Energy’s battery energy storage system (BESS) Integrated Marketplace project at YVR, which will provide high-speed charging capacity for fleet vehicles. Together, these projects aim to enhance operations at partnering testbeds and accelerate decarbonization within the province.
