Suzuki Foundation Questions Economic Viability Of BC's Hydrogen Buses

November 23, 2009 4:48 p.m. EST

Whistler, British Columbia (AHN) - The Suzuki Foundation asked the British Columbia government to reevaluate its plan and include a financial model that would make a BC transit plan a reality amid the launch of the province's hydrogen bus project.

Foundation climate change campaigner Ian Bruce said he did not disagree with BC seeking potential technologies, but stressed at the same time the province's public transit services using modern technology must be financially viable.

Ottawa and Victoria funded the manufacture of 20 hydrogen buses with $45 million provided the federal government and $44.5 million by the provincial government. The total amount of almost $90 million covers capital and operating expenses of BC Transit until 2014.

Based on those figures, Bruce said the hydrogen buses cost on the average $2.1 million, which is four times that of a diesel-fed bus.

Since the hydrogen will come from Quebec because BC could not produce sufficient quantity of hydrogen, the greenhouse gas emission savings from the venture would be reduced to 62 percent from 100 percent to factor in the transport cost.

A 2000 study by the Suzuki Foundation said that while the fuel cell is the preferred low-emission replacement for the internal combustion engine, the trace or zero gaseous emissions of fuel cell vehicles is true only at the tailpipe. The study concluded that greenhouse gas advantage of FCVs, when compared with conventional high efficiency competitors, would only be maintained with certain hydrogen supply options, particularly gas reforming or electrolysis using renewable power sources.