N.L. moves 9 wind-to-hydrogen projects on to next stage of decision process
CBC
There are now nine companies with a chance to build green hydrogen projects on Crown land in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Department of Industry, Energy and Technology announced Thursday that it has whittled down the list from 24 proposals by 19 different companies.
The government is not releasing the names of the companies still in the running, but said it is expecting to finish the second and final round of decisions by the end of August.
"We are pleased to have nine projects move forward to the Phase 2 review," said Energy Minister Andrew Parsons. "These projects have the potential to bring considerable investment and economic activity to our province."
The companies are seeking the province's approval to build windmills and other infrastructure on Crown land. The windmills would power generating stations where water is turned into hydrogen, which is then turned into ammonia to be transported to foreign markets.
Proposals poured in from companies around the world soon after the province announced it was lifting its moratorium on windmills. Countries like Germany are looking to green hydrogen as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while reducing reliance on Russian energy.
The first phase looked at the proponents' experience and financial capacity to build and operate these massive projects. The second phase will look deeper into those criteria, as well as examining the propenents' reliance on the electrical grid, how they plan to engage the communities around them, and how their projects will benefit the province.
The lands in question will be held in reserve until the process is finished.
The regulatory process doesn't end with Thursday's announcement, however. Companies with wind generation over one megawatt will have to go through an environmental assessment, and the companies themselves will have to make a final investment decision once all approvals are in place.
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