The Province of British Columbia says it is investing in projects that aim to reduce emissions and promote clean transportation.
The provincial government stated this month that it is “supporting domestic companies to test dual-use technologies that make our ports safer, cleaner, and more competitive while strengthening Canada’s sovereignty and defence capabilities.”
An example of this includes support from Innovate BC’s Integrated Marketplace initiative across three regional clean energy projects.
“These new data tools will reduce emissions and promote clean transportation—critical goals for our environment and communities— while delivering safer port operations using made-in-B.C. technology,” according to Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth
Nuport Robotics, Open Ocean Robotics, and Hydra Energy are testing technologies at the Port of Prince Rupert.
“Companies like Nuport Robotics, Open Ocean Robotics, and Hydra Energy are showing the world what Canadian innovation can achieve,” remarked Rick Glumac, B.C. Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies.
“By testing cutting-edge clean technologies in Prince Rupert, we’re proving that our homegrown tech solutions can reduce emissions, improve safety and strengthen our economy,” he said.
British Columbia “is a proven leader in clean transportation and energy innovation, and the Integrated Marketplace is strengthening that standing by supporting B.C. companies to deploy solutions that transform critical industries and reduce emissions,” commented Innovate BC chief executive Peter Cowan.
The Prince Rupert Port Authority Testbed “provides a valuable real-world environment to demonstrate how persistent, uncrewed surface vehicles can support safer, more sustainable port and coastal operations,” according to Julie Angus, a cofounder of Open Ocean Robotics.
“Testing these innovative technologies advances our efforts to make gateway operations safer and more efficient, both on water and land,” noted Kurt Slocombe, interim president of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. “The findings will help inform our strategies to reduce the overall impacts of port activity.”
Nuport is leading a $300,000 project featuring the installation of a data-acquisition system on a short-haul truck at the port in order to lower emissions and “de-risk” deployment of technology.
The port of Prince Rupert will test Open Ocean Robotics’ DataXplorer Gen 2 autonomous uncrewed surface vessel in a $400,000 project.
And a $1-million project led by the Prince Rupert Port Authority and Hydra Energy will develop a hydrogen-fuelling station and test zero- and low-emission vehicles to support sustainability efforts within the port’s operations.
“This collaboration … highlights the vital role of hydrogen in decarbonizing heavy-duty transport,” suggests Badr Abduljawad, co-founder and chief innovation officer of Hydra Energy. “This initiative will integrate our hydrogen-diesel co-combustion technology with dedicated hydrogen-refuelling infrastructure, helping showcase Hydra’s capabilities in real-world port operations and the importance of transition technologies on the path to cleaner mobility.”