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Year in review: Hydrogen hiccups, arts fundraising, tech summits
In 2024, Taproot reported on several stories that continued to evolve after we published them. Here are some updates.
edmonton.taproot.news
Hydrogen hiccups see backers stand firm
The original story: While Taproot regularly reports on hydrogen’s potential due to its prominence in the region, one 2024 story that stood out was the growing number of people questioning the fuel’s viability for consumer vehicles. Ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, 120 scientists shared their distrust of the hydrogen fuel-cell Toyota Mirai, to be used at the games, with the International Olympic Council. Meanwhile, Californians who leased the same model from Toyota launched a class-action lawsuit. Still, stakeholders in the hydrogen ecosystem like Edmonton Global celebrated the Edmonton International Airport’s acquisition of 100 Toyota Mirais in June. Taproot also covered the international congregation at the annual Canadian Hydrogen Convention, the optimism for hydrogen in trucking along key trade corridors, Canada’s first hydrogen quality testing centre at the Edmonton Research Park, and how industrial businesses that use hydrogen are flocking to the region.Then what? As industry interest in hydrogen grew, NAIT responded with a new course. Its Introduction to Hydrogen Vehicles is a micro-credential course that includes the theory behind hydrogen-powered vehicles, safety, regulations, and more. The curriculum, and NAIT’s larger goal to “drive net zero,” are supported by partners that include the Alberta Motor Transport Association, the City of Edmonton, and Diesel Tech Industries. Speaking of the AMTA, the organization hosted the debut of Verne’s cryo-compressed hydrogen technology for heavy-duty vehicles at an expo in September. In June, the 5,000 Hydrogen Vehicle Challenge also shared a post that compiles more news on NAIT’s hydrogen training, Velocity Truck Centres’s opening of Alberta’s first hydrogen and natural gas refuelling bay, and more.
What’s next? There are two hints that more hydrogen news is coming this year, plus one sure thing. NAIT will eventually add another new hydrogen course, though there are still few details to share. The other unknown is what will change with the Edmonton Region Hydrogen HUB, which its founding chair and Sturgeon County Mayor Alanna Hnatiw teased will “take on a new form this year.” Hnatiw declined to comment further when contacted by Taproot. The Canadian Hydrogen Convention returns from April 22 to 24 at the Edmonton EXPO Centre and industrial sites. The convention typically includes announcements and displays of new tech.
