Fuel-cell Buses On Horizon

May 4, 2007

Whistler this week moved a step closer to hosting the world’s largest fleet of hydrogen fuel-cell-powered buses, drawing local officials’ enthusiastic expressions of support for the chance to showcase new, sustainable technologies in Whistler during and after the 2010 Winter Olympics.

One Whistler lawmaker, though, raised concerns about the buses’ reliability, saying it’s “critical” that an adequate number of back-up buses be provided in the event of a wholesale failure of the untested technology.

Premier Gordon Campbell on Monday (April 30) announced $45 million in funding for the production of 20 state-of-the-art fuel-cell buses and hydrogen fuelling stations in Whistler and Victoria.

The buses are to be rolled out in Whistler in late 2009, in time to showcase them during the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics. They are expected to make up the lion’s share of Whistler Transit’s fleet, which currently sits at 25 buses, from 2010 to 2015, said Mike Long, B.C. Ministry of Transportation spokesman.

A decision on where the buses will go after 2015 will be made at an undetermined date in the future, Long said.

Premier Campbell touted the buses as an integral part of B.C.‘s plan to protect the environment and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. "This is the type of project we can look to as we move to reduce B.C.’s greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020," he said in a statement.

Campbell made the funding announcement at the international Hydrogen and Fuel Cells 2007 event in Vancouver. Conference organizers staged a “road rally” of fuel-cell cars from the Vancouver to Whistler, stopping on Sunday (April 29) at the Telus Whistler Conference Centre.

The funding announced on Monday is part of a federal-provincial partnership that is to see $89 million dedicated to fuel-cell technology in B.C., with Whistler touted as the northern terminus of the “Hydrogen Highway.” Last November, the B.C. government made $10 million available to kick-start the process of establishing hydrogen fuelling stations and begin pre-production of the bus fleet.

Whistler officials said they were excited about the chance for the community to serve as a showcase for Canadian know-how using a technology that is being eyed as a much more environmentally friendly option than fossil-fuel-based systems.

“It really is quite an honour to have been chosen to be the recipient of this very new technology,” said Councillor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden, chair of the RMOW’s Transit Management Committee.

However, Councillor Eckhard Zeidler, who was elected in 2005 after campaigning as a “green” voice on Council, said he’s concerned about Whistler and its 3 million transit riders being used as a testing ground for unproven technology.

“I’m very hopeful that the hydrogen buses function reliably, but as it is, this is the largest deployment globally of a fuel-cell bus fleet,” he said. "We absolutely have to have some back-up buses, until we’re comfortable that these things are working and will work consistently and reliably.

“What I understand at this point is that backup buses are not in the cards.”

Zeidler said that because of the uncertain state of hydrogen fuel-cell technology, he would prefer to showcase what he called “proven” technologies that are greener than conventional diesel buses, such as those that run on natural gas.

“That’s a technology that’s on the ground today, that is proven,” he said. “I’m interested in a reliable transportation system for our residents and visitors.”

Zeidler also voiced concern over the state of Whistler’s current transit fleet, saying he doesn’t think many of those 25 buses will still be road-worthy in late 2009, when the fuel-cell buses are expected to arrive.

“I’d say the majority are being held together with bubble gum and duct tape. There are concerns that our fleet will even make it through next season,” he said.

Wilhelm-Morden disagreed – about the bubble gum, that is. “Some of our buses are being held together with duct tape and string, practically,” she said. “They’re used so many hours, especially in the winter season, that the wear and tear on them is really quite significant.”

Wilhelm-Morden said officials with the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) have been discussing the replacement of at least some of the current fleet with officials of B.C. Transit, the Crown corporation that partners with smaller B.C. communities in the provision of public transit services.

“B.C. Transit and the provincial government are very much aware of our short-term need,” she said.

Attempts to reach B.C. Transit officials for comment were unsuccessful.

Brian Barnett, RMOW general manager of engineering and public works, said B.C. Transit officials have a formula that spells out the number of back-up buses needed for every bus that’s on the road.

At the moment, he said, B.C. Transit has made seven “spare” buses available to augment Whistler’s 25-bus fleet, a ratio that is below the provincial average – that, in spite of the fact that Whistler Transit’s buses are on the road for significantly more hours, and carry far more riders per hour, than the average.

Scott Pass, Whistler Transit general manager, said roughly half of Whistler’s fleet has been on the road since 1991, with the remainder having been in use since 1999. But their age isn’t a completely accurate gauge of their level of wear and tear, he said.

“Our buses have seen a lot of service, a lot of hours, a lot of passengers, and some are definitely getting a little long in the tooth. I’m the operator of the fleet and I do what I can with the buses and the budget I’m given,” Pass said, adding that he expects at least some new buses to arrive well before the fuel-cell models do.

Wilhelm-Morden said she shares Zeidler’s concern about the buses’ reliability, but said she’s confident that contingency plans will be made if they experience significant problems.

“We’ve got to work through the details of it, of course,” she said. “This is really quite radically different technology than we’re used to. Because a sizeable portion of our fleet will be fuel-cell buses, we have to be satisfied that if something goes wrong, there are adequate back-ups.”

Barnett said he fully expects that replacement buses will be made available to augment the fleet of fuel-cell buses, the same way spare buses are made available now.

“That’s the sort of thing that would be sorted out as proposals come in and the details are sorted out,” he said. “It would be our expectation as well as B.C. Transit’s expectation that there’s continued reliable service in Whistler and as backup buses are needed, they would be available. It may be just a matter of increasing the ratio.”