4 companies advance to next stage of N.L.'s wind hydrogen project development
CBC
Four companies are one step closer to developing and exporting hydrogen and ammonia to the world market after getting their bids for wind hydrogen projects across Newfoundland approved.
The companies are EverWind Fuels, the Exploits Valley Renewable Energy Corporation, Toqlukuti'k Wind and Hydrogen (ABO Wind) and World Energy GH2.
"I'm certainly pleased today to say that these four projects have been independently reviewed and determined to provide the overall greatest benefit to the province," Energy Minister Andrew Parsons said at a press briefing Wednesday afternoon.
The announcement isn't a green light to begin construction, said Parsons — the companies can now pursue the development of their individual projects and proceed through the provincial government's Crown land application and approval process.
Parsons declined to name the five unsuccessful applicants, but CBC News has previously identified them as Pattern Energy, North Atlantic, Brookfield Renewable Partners, Fortescue Future Industries and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.
German company ABO has partnered with Braya Renewable Fuels, which operates the Come By Chance refinery, where they plan to develop green hydrogen.
Its approved bid area is about 108,000 hectares, which will be used for the wind farm as well as a storage and production facility.
EverWind wants to set up on the Burin Peninsula, where it has about 270,000 hectares of Crown land reserved.
The Exploits Valley Renewable Energy Corporation has set its sights on a production facility in Botwood to export green hydrogen and ammonia. Its bid area is around 30,000 hectares.
World Energy GH2 has also proposed a three-phase project with wind turbines and a hydrogen and ammonia production facility. Its Crown land area is approximately 107,000 hectares.
The allotted Crown land will be held in reserve for the next 18 months, and the four companies must start on their Crown land application process in that time. They must also pay 3.5 per cent of the market value of the land.
It's estimated that between the construction and decommission phases, the projects have a lifespan ranging from 35 to 40 years, said Parsons, and they represent an estimated $206.2 billion in gross domestic product and $11.7 billion in revenue for the province.
Based on the information the four companies provided the government, he said, peak full-time employment could be 11,694 job. Total capital spending is an estimated $66.3 billion, he said.
As to whether N.L. has the skilled workforce to fill the jobs, Parsons said some of the companies have been in touch with post-secondary institutions and trade organizations like Energy N.L. to discuss their needs.
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