Hydrolux unveils Project 117, which will equip Route 117 corridor with two green H₂ refueling stations allowing heavy-duty trucks to connect the greater Montreal area and Abitibi-Témiscamingue. These green H₂ refueling stations will be in the surroundings of Val-d’Or and Saint-Jérôme and will have the capacity to refuel heavy-duty trucks with pressures of 350 bar or 700 bar.

Although Project 117 is designed primarily for heavy-duty trucking, motorists who have purchased H₂-powered cars will also be able to refuel at these stations. The two green H₂ refueling stations will each have a 5 MW proton exchange membrane electrolyzer and their respective capacity can be increased according to demand growth. Many Québec transportation companies as well as industrial partners have already expressed their interest in Project 117. This very first project, in its initial phase alone, will remove nearly 7.6 MM liters of diesel per year, which represents more than 20,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent or removing nearly 4,300 cars from the roads of Québec. At this stage, Hydrolux estimates the implementation of Project 117 at 24 months. More details will be communicated as the project develops. 

“Project 117 is an innovative project, developed by Quebecers, for Quebecers, which will make it possible to decarbonize, thanks to green H₂, a strategic road for the economic development of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, the greater Montréal region and the Province of Québec,” said Friedrich Dehem-Lemelin, CEO of Hydrolux.

Power management thanks to artificial intelligence and energy efficiency

Project 117 will enable Hydrolux to deploy its green H₂ production optimization technology. This technology, powered by artificial intelligence, consists of predicting H₂ consumption at each of the stations as well as predicting the power available from the electrical grid. In the short term, this technology will allow stations to anticipate and react quickly during peak power events (in winter, for example). With the growth of intermittent electricity production in Québec and with the massive deployment of light-duty battery-powered vehicles, Hydrolux’s technology will be able to help Québec in its management of electricity consumption throughout the year by allowing better reactions to power fluctuations. In short, Hydrolux’s technology will enable for the right amount of green H₂ to be produced at the right time while ensuring users never run out of H₂.

Project 117 will also allow Hydrolux to deploy its expertise in terms of energy efficiency. Hydrolux is already working with various partners to re-use the thermal waste related to the production of green H₂. This heat will replace the natural gas that is currently used to heat commercial and industrial buildings.