The British Columbia government announced on Tuesday that two BC clean energy vehicle industry companies will receive funding to help develop the province’s CEV sector.
IRDI, a Richmond based company will receive $55,000 to help develop a hydrogen fuelling nozzle and Burnaby’s AVL Fuel Cell Canada will receive $147,000 develop an advanced fuel cell model for research and series development applications in the automotive sector.
“Under our CleanBC plan, we are building a low-carbon economy that will reduce climate pollution and create good jobs across our province,” said Michelle Mungall, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.
Mungall added “To get there faster, we are supporting innovative companies like IDRI Systems to develop made-in-B.C. technology that will put us on the path to a cleaner, better future.”
IRDI systems says it will use its funding to develop a hydrogen fuelling nozzle that will help make fuel cell vehicles more accessible to global users.
Edward Li, general manager at IRDI Systems says his company has shipped cutting-edge technology all over the world. “The hydrogen fuelling industry is evolving rapidly, and the Advanced Research and Commercialization Program grant will help us develop equipment for buses as public transit authorities start to adopt hydrogen technology more widely.”
Meanwhile, AVL Fuel Cell Canada will develop an advanced fuel cell model for research and series development applications in the automotive sector.
“The performance, durability and cost of fuel cells are linked, and improving any one of them will impact the other two,” said Jose Rubio, managing director, AVL Fuel Cell Canada.
He added “That’s why it is so important to develop a comprehensive fuel cell model capable of simultaneously providing accurate measures of performance, degradation and cost. The financial support of the ARC program will help realize our ambitious fuel cell project.”
IRDI and AVL Fuel Cell are two of five British Columbia companies that will receive a total of $1,190,856 under the British Columbia government’s Advanced Research and Commercialization Program, or ARC, for the CEV sector.
George Chow, Minister of State for Trade and MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview, said “As we move ever closer to a world of zero-emission vehicles, innovative projects like this one are helping us to better realize this goal.”
While touring IRDI’s Richmond facility, Chow said “What IRDI Systems is doing here in the Lower Mainland is another step forward, and one that will help our province’s reputation as one of the global leaders in clean tech.”
At the AVL Fuel Cell facility, Katrina Chen, MLA for Burnaby-Lougheed said “Not only does zero-emission vehicle research lead to cleaner air and quieter streets, it also brings long-term advanced technology jobs to Burnaby.”
According to a press release from the Government of British Columbia, the CEV sector in BC has a total of $702 million in total economic output and contributes $373 million to the province’s GDP.
There are also 3,850 full-time equivalent jobs in total direct employment associated with CEV-related activities at 198 companies and organizations in the province.
The ARC program is part of the NDP government’s CleanBC plan and provides funding to eligible companies operating across all aspects of the CEV sector, which includes battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.
The CEV supply chain is includes companies involved in all aspects of the CEV supply chain, from raw materials to final consumer products for vehicles, vehicle components, fuel and infrastructure and transferable technologies and services.
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