The Department of National Defence (DND) has awarded a $1.2-million contract to study the feasibility of zero-emission light-armoured vehicles, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. The study will focus on solid-state, hydrogen-powered vehicles weighing up to 45,000 pounds.
Study details and timeline
The contract, titled Digital Feasibility Study, tasks industry experts with assessing whether a hydrogen-powered light-armoured vehicle can meet operational needs. A report is expected within 18 months. The DND acknowledged that “currently no zero-emission platforms” exist for armoured vehicles.
“The current mandate from the Treasury Board in the Greening Government Strategy is for the department to reduce emissions from operations to net zero while continuing to provide Canada with effective operational capability,” management wrote in a notice to contractors. “To decarbonize operations, it is expected the national safety and security fleet departments will use more environmentally friendly technologies and low-carbon fuels when available, affordable compatible and operationally friendly.”
Past challenges with green military tech
The feasibility study comes despite earlier research questioning the viability of green military technology. A 2019 report by Defence Research and Development Canada found that hybrid diesel-electric powertrains for light tactical vehicles were “difficult to justify on cost alone.” The report noted, “It is not clear the fuel savings would compensate for the increased upfront costs over the lifespan of the vehicle.”
The DND’s 2018 Defence Energy and Environment Strategy proposed initiatives such as installing wind farms on army bases and encouraging staff to cycle to work. However, most of those ideas lapsed without implementation, including a target to “use clean power at all bases” by 2025 and a minimum 30% electric vehicle quota.
Climate goals versus operational reality
The DND notice emphasized that climate targets cannot be met if military vehicles continue to rely on diesel and gasoline. “Without the ability to operate and be sustained using alternate fuels, the Canadian Army has no pathway to procure and field zero-emission platforms,” it stated.
Critics have pointed to the high costs and technological hurdles. A 2019 report from the Crown agency Defence Research and Development Canada described battery electric motors for military use as costly and impractical. The new study aims to explore whether solid-state hydrogen power could overcome these barriers.
