Vancouver Island's 1st public hydrogen fuel station opens in Saanich

At the Hydrogen + Fuel Cell Conference, people were able to look inside high-tech hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles and even test drive them.

The first public hydrogen fuel station on Vancouver Island has opened in Saanich, B.C., the province announced Friday.

Located at an Esso gas station, the project is a partnership between the Vancouver-based Hydrogen Technology and Energy Corporation (HTEC) and convenience store 7-Eleven.

"We are working to expand our hydrogen-fuelling network to encourage more British Columbians to make the switch to a cleaner vehicle," said B.C. Energy Minister Bruce Ralston in a statement.

"The adoption of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and fuelling infrastructure will complement the build out of our electric-vehicle charging infrastructure and play a critical role in helping us achieve our legislated zero-emission vehicle targets and in our transition to a clean-energy future."

The Saanich station received $500,000 from the province's CleanBC Go Electric program and $1 million from Natural Resource Canada's alternative fuel deployment initiative.

"Cutting our transportation emissions is one of the most important things we can do in the fight against climate change," said Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson in the statement.

HTEC president Colin Armstrong says the company now has four hydrogen stations operating in B.C., with more scheduled to open in the coming months.

Norman Hower, vice-president of 7-Eleven Canada, says the company aims to reduce its stores' carbon emissions by 100 percent from 2013 levels by 2050.