(St. John's / Canada) Last August, during a state visit to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Germany and Canada agreed to “Transatlantic supply chainfor hydrogen. Their development has now reached a further stage.
As part of a call for tenders for wind power and hydrogen projects, 19 companies with 24 projects applied. Of these, nine offers found their way onto the shortlist. The Ministry of Industry, Energy and Technology has now awarded contracts to four companies to implement their plans.
Location of the Burin Peninsula (highlighted) in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador on the east coast of the country. © Gov. of Canada
Canada's Everwind Fuels LLC has now received exclusive rights to develop a green fuels project on the Burin Peninsula. For the “Burin Peninsula Green Fuels Energy” plan, Everwind wants to use wind energy to first produce hydrogen and then ammonia for export together with the CNW Group. The wind farms with a cumulative installed capacity of more than two gigawatts are scheduled to go into operation by 2027. The investment volume is eight billion Canadian dollars (5,58 billion euros). Everwind has now installed the instruments for collecting meteorological data on the first of six weather towers planned for Burin. The company also partnered with Elemental Energy, owner of the 27-megawatt St. Lawrence Wind Farm, to secure access to historical wind data dating back to 2007.
World Energy: Nujio'qonik is on the way
Canada's World Energy GH2 Inc. is also receiving state-owned land in Newfoundland and Labrador to advance its hydrogen project called Nujio'qonik. This initially includes two wind farms with an output of one gigawatt each on the west coast, a green hydrogen plant with an annual capacity of 60.000 tons and an ammonia plant with 360.000 tons in the deep-sea port of Stephenville, which GH2 bought in June. Previously, South Korean conglomerate SK Ecoplant Co. acquired a 20 percent stake in Nujio'qonik in May and invested $50 million in the project.
Graphic of World Energy's planned hydrogen and ammonia plant in Stephenville. © World Energy GH2
In addition to the first two approvals, two further areas with a buildable area for wind farms with an installed capacity of four gigawatts in the immediate vicinity of the planned location of the electrolyzers were awarded to the company. Nujio'qonik is currently the only green hydrogen project in Newfoundland and Labrador that has completed the required analyzes and submitted an environmental impact statement (EIS) after more than 15 months of field studies, the company says; an EIS is the most stringent environmental compliance requirement in the province.
World Energy GH2 will initiate a consultation and engagement process with communities in and near the future expansion areas. In addition, the preparatory work for the FEED (front-end engineering and design) has been completed, says managing director Sean Leet. “The next important milestone for the Nujio'qonik project is the province's response to the environmental impact statement,” which is expected this fall. Hydrogen production is scheduled to begin at the end of 2025.
ABO Wind: space for five gigawatts
The Wiesbaden-based ABO Wind AG also secured areas on state-owned “crown land” in the tender for wind energy projects. This gives the project developer the right to develop the “Toqlukuti'k Wind and Hydrogen” wind power and hydrogen project there.
Area in Newfoundland on which ABO Wind wants to develop its wind farms. © ABO Wind Canada Ltd.
They want to “take advantage of the Canadian province’s excellent wind conditions to install a wind farm with five gigawatts of output including connected hydrogen and ammonia production,” says ABO Wind board member Karsten Schlageter. This corresponds to the “Germany-wide expansion of onshore wind power over the past three years” and is part of the company’s hydrogen portfolio, which totals 20 gigawatts.
The awarded land is located near a Braya Renewable Fuels biofuel refinery in the community of Come by Chance. The green energy source produced from green electricity should contribute directly to the decarbonization of the refinery. Braya Renewable Fuels and ABO Wind had already agreed on a partnership to jointly develop green hydrogen in March 2023. Braya then announced a $300 million investment from Energy Capital Partners (ECP) in the refinery conversion in April. “Renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen and ammonia are the alternatives to fossil fuels and reduce emissions in sectors such as heavy transport, aviation and heavy industry,” says Braya.
The "Toqlukuti'k Wind and HydrogenThe project is divided into several phases: First, green hydrogen is to be produced for the refinery in a pilot phase. Electricity from state utility NL Hydro's grid would be used to power a 30-megawatt electrolysis plant in Come By Chance, which will be operational by 2025. This will produce enough green hydrogen to cover around 13 percent of Braya's needs.
In 2027/28, capacity will be increased in phase 1 and the electrolyzer will be operated using the yield from onshore wind turbines at locations near the refinery. Phase 2 (2028/29) is used to expand the power supply in preparation for ammonia export. Only then will green ammonia actually be produced for export (Phase 3, 2030-2034). To this end, additional wind turbines will be gradually built near the refinery and the output of the electrolyzers will be gradually increased. The project makes “a crucial contribution to the German-Canadian hydrogen partnership concluded last year in Stephenville, Newfoundland,” says Braya managing director Frank Almaraz.
Photos
Government House is the residence of the Lieutenant Governors of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's. Currently this is Judy M. Foote. © Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
