SIDHARTH KWATRA | DEC 14, 2023 | ROOM C400 | 13:30 – 14:00
MENTOR: DOMINIC GIROUX, ESHITA SWAIN, SAUMYA BHAVSAR – WSP, CANADA
ABSTRACT
Under the Paris Agreement, Canada is committed to reducing GHG emissions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2030, setting a 2030 target of 511 Mt. The magnitude of the challenge is 729 Mt-CO2e reduction over the next 30 years based on 2018 emissions levels [1].
As per the Transport Canada report, as of 2019, the Canadian Transportation sector accounts for 186 Mega tonnes of CO2e i.e. 28% of the total Canadian emissions [2]. Decarbonizing this sector will be crucial for Canada to meet it’s 2030 and 2050 targets. A significant challenge is that carbon emissions from vehicles cannot be effectively captured at the source, necessitating a clean energy source for transportation.
Hydrogen, a carbon-neutral fuel, emerges as a potential solution. Today, numerous opportunities exist to integrate hydrogen across all modes of transportation. While certain applications, such as on-road vehicles, have progressed, others, like trucking, rail, marine, and aviation, with their energy-intensive operations and extended ranges, are well-suited for hydrogen adoption [3]. This report highlights hydrogen’s progress and future potential in Transportation across various categories.
Goal and Scope: This project aims to develop a streamlined framework for assessing Hydrogen fuel viability across Canadian transportation sectors. The methodology includes evaluating technology readiness and market development and identifying leading companies while assigning weightages to technical, economic, environmental, and social parameters. The framework, refined through interviews, will facilitate a thorough competitor analysis across airlines, marine, railways, and roads. Finally, sector performance analysis will pinpoint the most promising sector for effective Hydrogen adoption, providing valuable insights for sustainable transportation solutions in Canada. The image below illustrates a fundamental outline of the framework, providing a basic structure for reference.
References:
- Seizing the Opportunities for Hydrogen A Call to Action HYDROGEN STRATEGY FOR CANADA. (2020). https://natural resources.canada.ca/sites/nrcan/files/environment/hydrogen/NRCan_Hydrogen-Strategy-Canada-na-en-v3
- Transport Canada. (2020). Canada.ca. https://tc.canada.ca/en
- Canada, N. R. (2020, November 30). Using hydrogen in Canada. Natural-Resources.canada.ca. https://natural-resources.canada.ca/our-natural-resources/energy-sources-distribution/using-hydrogen-canada/23149