While a proposed wind project for Newfoundland’s west coast gained momentum earlier in August, a bevy of world leaders, from politicians to international CEOs, are in Stephenville on Tuesday to sign a hydrogen deal between Canada and Germany. The project, put together by the umbrella company World Energy GH2, needs more details and an environmental impact statement before the Newfoundland and Labrador government gives it the go-ahead. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be in Stephenville to sign an agreement early Tuesday evening, setting the stage for Canada to export hydrogen to Germany. The World Energy GH2 project would see 164 wind turbines built across Newfoundland’s largely rural Port au Port peninsula. Near Stephenville is where the company wants to build a plant where the hydrogen produced by the wind turbines will be converted into ammonia. This product would then be sold to Germany as it wants to move away from importing Russian oil to power its cities. Delia Warren, a renewable energy consultant from St. John’s, who works for Boston-based company Xodus, said Monday he was surprised to hear about the Canada-Germany deal — and even more surprised to learn of the scale of the proposed operation. “This is actually, in my opinion, a huge opportunity for Newfoundland and Labrador. It would really position us as a pioneer in terms of developing this type of technology or bringing this type of technology to scale,” said Warren. “It would really set the stage for Newfoundland and Labrador to become a world leader.” But Warren has concerns, and she’s not alone. Ever since the Port au Port proposal was announced, local residents and environmental advocacy groups have been raising red flags.
Shortage of skilled workers in the US
In a media release Monday, the company said the project is “expected to provide 1,800 direct construction jobs, 300 direct operations jobs and 3,500 indirect jobs.” Warren said those numbers seem accurate, but she would like to see a full economic benefit assessment to see what the actual impact will be on the province and a workforce assessment to see the availability of the workforce. “One of the major issues in setting up offshore wind in the United States is the lack of a trained workforce to build the industry,” he said. “I know in Newfoundland and Labrador we have a strong population of trades workers … I hope the project will do more research to determine if those people have the skills needed to develop this project.” Renewable energy consultant Delia Warren says the timetable for the proposed wind farm on the Port au Port peninsula is ambitious. (Heather Gillis/CBC) Another concern is the timing of the operation. World Energy GH2 expects the wind farm, once operational and clear of final government hurdles, to produce hydrogen and ammonia by mid-2024. Warren said this is an “extremely ambitious” goal. “But where there’s a will, there’s a way. Where there’s sufficient funding, there’s a way. When there’s a need, you can get things done. The technology is there, it’s proven,” he said. “My main concern about the timing … would be the delays caused by an inadequate consultation process.”
“Huge potential”
But timing could be a deciding factor in whether Newfoundland and Labrador enters a potentially lucrative industry. Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said Canada is interested in helping Germany and other countries find energy sources to deal with the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this winter. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sit at a dinner in Toronto on Monday. They will be in Stephenville on Tuesday to sign an agreement to export hydrogen energy to Germany. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press) “And others are looking at that, and that means you really have to be strategic and you have to move quickly,” Wilkinson said Monday. “As they try to accelerate the energy transition and certainly in Atlantic Canada, there are tremendous resources and other resources that can be useful in the context of hydrogen generation to help our European friends.” Wilkinson said he has been driving a hydrogen car for about three years. Stephenville Mayor Tom Rose said he was excited to host Trudeau and Scholz, calling the occasion a proud moment for his community and Canada. Rose said the wind power proposal for Port au Port and the ammonia plant in his community has “tremendous potential.” “There are a lot of check boxes for Stephenville. This is a new energy of the future,” he said. “Canada, I guess, is stepping up to the plate — more specifically, Stephenville, Newfoundland, Canada.” Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
