As politicians, dignitaries and the media gathered last week to celebrate Whistler's now-complete fleet of 20 hydrogen buses, news came of the strong possibility that hydrogen fuel for the buses will be produced in North Vancouver as early as next year.

Liquid hydrogen is currently being trucked from Quebec every two weeks for Whistler's hydrogen fuel cell bus fleet, the largest fleet in the world. The project's critics point out that fossil fuels are being burned to get the zero-emission hydrogen to Whistler.

Plans are underway to build a hydrogen liquefier in North Vancouver, with a target delivery date of mid-2011, Rick Hopp, president of Hydrogen Technology and Energy Corporation (HTEC), said at a ribbon cutting event at Whistler's new transit facility on Friday (Jan. 22). The company has been capturing small quantities of waste hydrogen from an electrochemical plant since 2006 and developing distribution and end-use technologies for the fuel.

A funding announcement for the liquefier project is expected from the federal government soon, said Manuel Achadinha, president and CEO of B.C. Transit. He said he's been looking for a “made in B.C.” solution for the hydrogen fleet's fuel needs.

“We're very close,” Achadinha said.

If the project comes to fruition, B.C. Transit is “100 per cent committed” to sourcing hydrogen from North Vancouver, he said.

Because the hydrogen is produced in North Vancouver as a by-product of an electrochemical process, it's a “green” source, Hopp said.

Enough by-product hydrogen is currently produced in North Vancouver to fuel 20,000 passenger vehicles, said Colin Armstrong, HTEC director. Most of the hydrogen has been vented for the past 40 years, he said.

Meanwhile, some people around Whistler this weekend were experiencing hiccups with the start-up of the hydrogen bus fleet. The breakdown of at least two hydrogen buses was reported on Saturday (Jan. 23).

On Monday (Jan. 25), in response to a question about the breakdowns, B.C. Transit spokesperson Joanna Morton said the buses are still in the midst of the commissioning process.

“We have to understand that the buses are coming off the production line,” she wrote in an email to the Question. “…We're testing these buses, and learning more about the technology with each day.

“It's new and complex technology, but B.C. Transit, along with our partners, have been working together (and will continue to do so) to oversee the success of the demonstration project.”

At Friday's event, Achadinha said the performance of the hydrogen buses is “fine.” The buses have been in the commissioning phase for the past six months, undergoing testing in all conditions, he said.

B.C. Transportation Minister Shirley Bond, who attended the ribbon cutting event, said B.C is “very, very proud” to have the largest fleet of hydrogen buses as well as the largest hydrogen fuelling station in the world.

“We are going to be the leader in the world with this technology,” she said.

Achadinha recognized Whistler for its high per-capita transit ridership — one of the highest in North America. Mayor Ken Melamed flashed his bus pass to the crowd and said he's doing his part to show that public transit is a viable option.

“I'm a devoted user of transit,” he said.

The total cost of the hydrogen bus project — including capital and operating costs until March 2014 — is $89.5 million. According to a Ministry of Transportation info sheet, Whistler's share of that is $16.8 million. That's in addition to the municipality's $11.7 million share for the new transit yard.