Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are visiting the western Newfoundland town of Stephenville late today, where they are set to sign a green energy deal. A local company plans to build a zero-emission plant that will use wind power to produce hydrogen and ammonia for export. Hydrogen is seen as a critical element of Europe’s plan to reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuels, particularly in light of the war in Ukraine and recent cuts in Russian gas supplies to Germany and other countries. Speaking this morning at a Canada-Germany business forum in Toronto, Trudeau said Canada stands with its European allies in adding to global energy supplies as Russia continues to ramp up fossil fuel exports.
“It’s never been clearer why we need to accelerate the green transition,” Trudeau said. “And you should have no doubt that Canada has what it takes to be a clean energy supplier in a net zero world.” Scholz said Canada is Germany’s partner of choice as the country moves away from relying on Russia for energy. “That means an increase in energy imports. We hope that Canadian energy will play an important role in that,” Scholz said. “But the task before us is much bigger than simply diversifying our energy supply. For us, what lies ahead is nothing less than the biggest transformation of our economy, infrastructure and mobility since the beginning of the industrial revolution. “
Scholz said his country aims to become climate neutral by 2045 while remaining a leading industrialized country in the world. Cabinet ministers and German business leaders will join Trudeau and Scholz at a hydrogen trade show in Stephenville this afternoon. The city’s mayor, Tom Rose, said in an interview that he believes the location and existing infrastructure make it an ideal location for such a venture, and the area is poised to be “the green energy hub of North America.” Scholz and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, who is in charge of the country’s energy portfolio, are visiting Canada this week. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 23, 2022. — With a file from Maan Alhmidi in Toronto
