Under the agreement, the hydrogen facility will be situated at the Port of Belledune, New Brunswick, Canada and use 200MW of clean power to produce green ammonia for export, with potential expansions creating capacity to serve local and global energy needs.

H2 View understands, pending the outcome of feasibility studies, environmental assessments, due diligence, and permitting, the hydrogen production facility could come online by 2027.

The companies have said they are working closely with New Brunswick’s public utility to secure certified clean energy already available on the grid to support the first phase of the project.

Rishi Jain, Managing Director of Cross River Infrastructure Partners, said, “We believe the Port of Belledune is the best location in Eastern Canada to establish this innovative green hydrogen production facility

“Belledune is an established year-round port with easy access to the key European Union and North American markets we’re targeting. With most of the required infrastructure already in place, including a critical source of existing clean energy and substantial existing transmission to power our operations, we view this as a significant opportunity for everyone involved.”

Denis Caron, President and CEO of the Belledune Port Authority, added, “As a federal port authority, we welcome the opportunity to support Canada’s efforts to provide sustainable solutions to the world. This agreement is an important step in our port’s plan to foster new investment, enable a transition to green energy and bring greater prosperity to all New Brunswickers.”

The Policy Pillar – Canada: Scaling clean hydrogen for more than just fuel cells

The “Cambrian explosion” of interest in hydrogen in recent years has reached the Canadian shores where the modern fuel cell industry was born. Long home to a vibrant hydrogen and fuel cell sector – which even in 2017 posted revenues above $200m – Canada’s national and sub-national governments have built policy pillars to raise it to new heights.

Federal Policies

In December 2020 the Canadian Government issued its Hydrogen Strategy for Canada, establishing that hydrogen could provide up to 30% of final energy consumption in a Net Zero Canada by the year 2050. This is similar to the UK Hydrogen Strategy estimate that hydrogen could provide 20%-35% of UK final energy consumption by 2050.

In the same month Canada announced a Clean Fuel Standard to progressively reduce the emissions intensity of liquid fuels used across the country. It drew from California’s successful Low Carbon Fuel Standard, for which the credit price is currently in the $170/tonne CO2 range, or roughly $200/tonne CO2. By comparison Canada’s current carbon price is $40/tonne, with plans to raise it to $170/tonne by 2030.

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