World Energy GH2 has announced that the site of their new renewable hydrogen production and distribution project, at the port of Stephenville, will host German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accompanied by key Cabinet Ministers on Tuesday, in which an ‘historic’ hydrogen deal is expected to be signed between the two countries.
The CD$17bn Project Nujio’qonik will be Canada’s first commercial green hydrogen/ammonia producer with a 3GW wind farm delivering around 250,000 tons/year of hydrogen using 1.5 GW electrolysers.
Trudeau and Scholz will be on hand to commit their countries to an accord to accelerate the growth of green hydrogen, a new source of clean, transportable renewable fuel made from wind and water.
Leaders and proponents of other large-scale renewable hydrogen initiatives in Atlantic Canada including those from Pattern Energy, Northland Power, Brookfield, Belledune, Everwind, Buckeye, Evolugen, Source3, H2One and Fortescue.
Gene Gebolys, World Energy CEO, said, “Our closest allies urgently need new sources of renewable fuels, and the world needs to make faster and better progress in developing viable alternatives to fossil fuels at scale.”
John Risley, Chairman, World Energy, said, “We will accelerate the delivery of green hydrogen to global markets because it is so desperately needed. This project highlights the level of innovation, speed, coordination, and commitment needed to commercialise the solutions that will make net-zero real and achieve genuine results to combat climate change. Our project will serve as a catalyst for other green hydrogen projects in Atlantic Canada and around the world. We’re committed to working with local communities to build a project we’ll all be proud of.”
Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said it was time for Canada to stop treating its energy sector “as a problem, and more as a partner”.
He said, “Energy is a critical sector both for Western Canada and for our national economy, as well as a key driver of exports. Canadian energy can replace both coal generation of electricity and fuels from despotic regimes – a win for global security and a vital bridge in the transition to net zero. Chancellor Scholz’s visit this month is a moment for our country to articulate a clear vision of how we will help solve these critical global issues. Both Canada and the world have too much at stake for us to remain on the sidelines.”
Europe one of five key hydrogen export markets for Canada
Canada is one of the top 10 global producers of hydrogen today, producing an estimated 3Mt annually via steam methane reformation (SMR) of natural gas.
Clean hydrogen has the potential to deliver up to 30% of Canada’s end-use energy by 2050, abating up to 190 MtCO2e of GHG emissions through deployment in transportation, heating, and industrial applications.
To date, the factors limiting hydrogen use in some applications are “economic rather than technological”, where hydrogen is not yet cost competitive compared to other conventional fuel options, according to the country’s Hydrogen Strategy report.
Five key markets have been identified as potential export markets for Canada: the United States (particularly California and the Eastern US), Japan, South Korea, China, and the EU.
In Europe, Germany is leading the development of its hydrogen economy based on renewable energy and electrolysis. The German Government expects that around 2.7 to 3.3MT (90 to 110 TWh) of hydrogen will be needed by 2030, with significant upside growth in the 2030-2050 timeframe.
From Rotterdam, Germany will likely import hydrogen via pipeline to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, one of Europe’s largest industrial centres, which is set to become a major hydrogen centre.