Alberta’s first commercial hydrogen fuelling station has been shipped back to the United States, and its American owner Nikola has filed for bankruptcy. The removal came weeks before a national hydrogen conference in Edmonton, beginning Tuesday.  

DeSmog has previously reported on a fraud investigation that found the company’s founder Trevor Milton had used a staged video to create the false impression that the Nikola One prototype was capable of moving under its own power, when in fact the truck was rolling downhill. Milton has also been pardoned by U.S President Donald Trump.

Nikola has featured prominently at the Canadian Hydrogen Convention with vehicle prototypes on display and company spokespeople in attendance on panels in previous years.

The hydrogen station opened in March 2024 and was described as a “huge milestone” by the Alberta provincial government. The press conference that launched the newly closed Nikola station came long after the settlement of the fraud investigation became public.

Nor was that the only bad press the company faced. Nikola made headlines in September 2020 when BP backed out of a hydrogen station partnership deal for a network of fueling stations. Trevor Milton then left the company.

The station was installed last year in a private deal between Blackjacks roadhouse, a truck stop outside of Edmonton, and Nikola. DeSmog reached out to Blackjacks owner Clarence Shields but did not receive a reply.

This was at the same time as a $4.4-million investment from Prairies Economic Development Canada meant to enable the Alberta Motor Transportation Association and the University of Alberta to build access to fuel for hydrogen vehicles.

According to reporting by the Canadian Press, in 2024 the Alberta government announced $57 million in funding for hydrogen fuel development.

It said the 28 new technologies it’s supporting will reduce carbon emissions and power the economy.

Funding for each individual project ranges from $300,000 to $7 million.

Alberta Celebrated ‘Huge Milestone’

In March 2024, Alberta officials said the Nikola station was “a huge milestone in advancing Alberta as a global energy supplier,” Brian Jean, the minister of energy and minerals, said in a press release on Nikola’s page.

“Hydrogen is the next step in our commitment to reducing emissions, and projects like this demonstrate that we have the resources, expertise, and interest in our province to drive innovation and become leading suppliers of responsibly produced clean hydrogen.”

The federal Liberals also celebrated the installation.

“This milestone is a testament both to the region’s strength and expertise in driving Canada’s hydrogen future, and also to our shared vision of supporting a healthy environment and thriving economy,” said Randy Boissonnault, then minister of employment.

Both Jean and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith attended the opening ceremony for the fueller. Smith is pictured on the Nikola website smiling and holding large golden scissors.

“This project is the beginning of an expanded hydrogen fueling network across Western Canada, which solves the hydrogen economy’s “chicken or the egg” dilemma — enabling fueling infrastructure to keep pace with demand,” said the press release announcing the installation.  

Nikola filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February and on March 24 announced plans to deregister with the Securities and Exchange Commission and therefore delist from the stock market.

DeSmog reached out to the Alberta governement for comment on the closure of the hydrogen fueling station. “Alberta’s government is committed to building a hydrogen fuel network across the province and we worked closely with the proponent to try to get this project to completion,” reads a statement from a Municipal Affairs spokesperson. “Unfortunately, as the proponent was not able to provide the required documentation to verify that the equipment was built to Alberta’s safety standards, this project was unable to move forward.” 

An investor FAQ page on Nikola’s website said the Chapter 11 filing will allow it to “wind down” the business “while conducting a structured process to solicit interest in the sale of all, substantially all, or a portion of its operations.”

The company did not respond to request for comment.

The City of Edmonton has also cancelled plans to install a hydrogen fueling station.

The Canadian Hydrogen Convention runs until April 24.