3938 APEG Mar.Apr Edit.indd - APEGBC

f eatures
Local Source of Waste Hydrogen Sows the
Seeds of the Hydrogen Economy in BC
26 MARCH/APRIL 2008 INNOVATION
The development of technology to capture and
purify by-product waste hydrogen in North
Vancouver put in place a key building block
for what is known as the Integrated Waste Hydrogen
Utilization Project (IWHUP). IWHUP is a BC
Hydrogen Highway TM project that has brought together
numerous hydrogen industry players and government
organizations to demonstrate a practical and costeff
ective way of enabling hydrogen infrastructure and
hydrogen applications at the same time. Th is project
has kept British Columbia at the forefront of the race to
develop hydrogen energy systems that will contribute to
a sustainable future.
Background
Six years ago, engineering firm Sacré Davey became
aware that two adjacent electro-chemical plants in
North Vancouver were venting by-product waste
hydrogen into the atmosphere. The firm embarked on
developing a cost-effective method of capturing and
purifying these streams to fuel cell grade hydrogen for
use in hydrogen applications.
Hamid Tamehi PEng
Colin Armstrong PEng
The result of this was the development of a
demonstration project that would utilize waste
hydrogen in mobile and stationary applications and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It would also have
as its objectives the creation of a platform for other
participating companies to develop and demonstrate
their hydrogen technologies, the development of local
expertise and jobs in the hydrogen energy sector, and
further the development of codes and standards as well
as permitting processes for hydrogen systems. Finally,
the project would provide public education on the
benefi ts and safety of hydrogen.
A consortium of partners was brought together for this
project, and funding was secured from industry partners
as well as Industry Canada, Sustainable Development
Technology Canada, Natural Resources Canada and the
US Department of Defense Climate Change Fuel Cell
Program. Th is fi ve-year, $18 million project entered
its demonstration phase in late 2007 and comprises a
suite of seven sub-projects: a waste hydrogen supply,
compressed hydrogen distribution, light-duty hydrogen
vehicles, a light-duty fuelling station, heavy-duty
This hydrogen
processing facility
supplies purified
hydrogen for the
IWHUP project.