The B.C. government is pitching in $1.6 million from its electric power research fund as Harbour Air begins work on a second battery-powered float plane for passenger service.

Harbour Air president Randy Wright joined B.C. Energy Minister Bruce Ralston Friday for the grant announcement in Victoria, one of a series of B.C. research projects funded by the CleanBC electric power research fund. Wright said Harbour Air is matching the government鈥檚 investment and is beginning to convert its second de Havilland Beaver aircraft, using a new battery technology from Switzerland.

Harbour Air did its first battery-powered demonstration flight out of Richmond in December 2019, and Wright said the company鈥檚 goal is to carry its first passengers on electric aircraft next year.

鈥淚t鈥檚 all about the batteries, their power and how light they are, and it鈥檚 getting better and better as the days go on,鈥� Wright said Oct. 29. 鈥淏illions of dollars have been put into battery technology, and we believe that we will have an actual passenger in the aircraft by late 2022.鈥�

The company began charging passengers for carbon offsets for its flights in 2007, and in 2018 it set a goal to be the world鈥檚 first electric passenger air service. Since then, it has purchased a fully electric shuttle bus to carry passengers between Harbour Air鈥檚 downtown Vancouver and Richmond locations, and to Vancouver International Airport.

鈥淎lthough the conversion of the entire fleet is a few years away, this financial support brings that goal closer,鈥� Wright said.

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