Airport hydro initiative a Canadian first

Quebec Premier Jean Charest, federal and provincial ministers, and Air Liquide Canada president and CEO Luc Doyon announced a $14 million partnership at Pierre-Elliot Trudeau International Airport in Dorval earlier today to create a hydrogen-powered fleet of shuttle buses, other passenger and utility vehicles at the site as of 2010, along with refuelling stations.

"It's an announcement that's very important for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions", Charest said at a press conference inside one of the airport's hangars.

A first of its kind in Canada, 50 per cent of the local airport's project is being paid for by the provincial and federal governments, at $2.4 and $2.5 million, respectively. Air Liquide Canada, the Canadian division of a world-wide company specializing in hydrogen technology, is footing the rest of the bill for this particular project with an investment of $4.9 million.

The remainder of the $14 million is for a yet to be announced similar project at another international airport. Though officials would not name names, Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Lisa Raitt suggested it could be in the Vancouver, British Columbia area.

During his speech, the Quebec Premier attempted to remind the audience of the aggressive nature with which his government is tackling climate change. He recalled how it received kudos in January by former American Vice-President and Nobel Peace prize recipient Al Gore for being one of the few governments in the world to "set its sails toward green" in its attempt to meet Kyoto Protocols for greenhouse gas reductions.

Trying to suggest proximity between his provincial Liberals and U.S. President Barack Obama on the environment dossier, Charest also recalled how Obama announced last Friday his government would begin to aggressively tackle carbon dioxide reduction. "It's the first concrete signal of the new American government to legislate greenhouse gases," Charest said.

Though the project is coming through thanks to a partnership between Canada and Quebec, officials' speeches today highlighted differences between the two governments' approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"Quebec is going to reduce by six per cent its level of greenhouse gas emissions from here to 2012," Charest said.

Meanwhile, Raitt mentioned the Conservatives are working aggressively toward meeting their own goal. "Our government has made a commitment to achieve an absolute reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020," she said.

James Cherry, president and CEO of Aéroports de Montréal, the crown corporation which runs Pierre-Elliot Trudeau, said he is proud of playing host to this hydrogen pilot project.

Air Liquide's U.S. division helped with the creation of a similar, already existing project at New York's Albany Airport.

<@Cp>Chronicle, Raffy Boudjikanian

<@Cp>Chronicle, Raffy Boudjikanian

<@Cp>Chronicle, Raffy Boudjikanian