Nikola opens Alberta’s first commercial hydrogen station

The company has kickstarted the expansion of Western Canada’s hydrogen fueling network by decarbonizing the province’s busiest highway.

Nikola has unveiled Alberta’s first commercial hydrogen fueling station, as part of its 5,000 Hydrogen Vehicle Challenge.

This project is the beginning of an expanded hydrogen fueling network across Western Canada, made possible by joint collaboration from key stakeholders. These include the Alberta Motor Transport Association, Nikola Motor Canada, Suncor, Leduc County, Emissions Reduction Alberta, and Blackjacks Roadhouse.

The HYLA fueling station will be situated along Highway 2 in Leduc County, Alberta, a vital transportation corridor linking Alberta’s two largest urban centres— the Edmonton region and Calgary.

“This is a ground-breaking step towards a hydrogen-powered future and is a testament to the collaborative spirit driving sustainable innovation in Alberta. This initiative will look to propel Western Canada towards a cleaner, hydrogen-driven transportation sector,” said Ole Hoefelmann, President of Energy at Nikola Corporation.

This station will play a key role in decarbonizing one of Western Canada’s busiest highways, with approximately 96,000 vehicles passing by Blackjacks Roadhouse daily. Moreover, it will help meet the fueling needs of the company’s hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles destined for the Canadian market.

As Alberta remains the leading producer of hydrogen in Canada, initiatives like these reinforce the role hydrogen will play in achieving the county’s net-zero goals by 2050.