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There’s something else on the wind

Another possibility for the Port of Argentia revealed at energy conference

BARB DEAN-SIMMONS barb.dean-simmons @saltwire.com @Barbdeansimmons

Along one of the North America’s windiest coastlines, opportunity is blowing toward the Port of Argentia.

Pattern Energy executive Frank Davis told the Energynl conference in St. John’s that the company and the port have signed an option to lease that could make it home to a renewable energy project involving wind and hydrogen fuels.

Davis, vice president of Canadian operations with Pattern, said the vision is to construct put up onshore wind turbines and use that power to produce fuels made from hydrogen.

It’s not just the wind that makes Newfoundland a good location to develop a project like this, said Davis.

The province’s proximity to Europe—where the demand for cleaner fuels is increasing as countries aim to reduce their carbon footprint and meet the net zero targets— also makes it a good location.

However, don’t expect shovels to hit the ground just yet.

While Pattern Energy has expertise in wind power generation, the process of using wind to make hydrogen involves new technology.

“No one has done anything like this before,” said Davis.

Before the project at Argentia can proceed, the company has to do more research to determine technical design, build some partnerships with other global companies expert in the production of hydrogen fuels, and gain government approval for things like occupation and use of Crown lands.

He added they’ll also engage with local vendors and consultants as they begin the development and design process.

“We don’t want to rush development of this project. We want to do it responsibly, in consultation with local communities, First Nations, local stakeholders to make sure any of their concerns are addressed.

That will take time, he said. “To properly do these studies, to properly develop a project of this nature, it can take several years.”

Davis a final investment decision won’t come for another six to 12 months, after they complete all the necessary studies.

Still, there is a sense of urgency.

“We’re hearing from the Europeans that this demand (for hydrogen) is real.”

They are aiming to transition from natural gas energy to hydrogren, he said.

“By 2030 they want to be using 20 million tonnes of hydrogen a year,” said Davis, noting billions of Euros are already being spent to upgrade infrastructure at places like the Port of Rotterdam, to receive large volumes of hydrogen.

Pattern Energy would like to be one of the leading suppliers to that market.

“So, this is a project we want to act on quickly and deploy suitable resources to get it built as soon as possible,” he said.

Pattern Energy is no young upstart in the business of harnessing the power of the wind.

They already have several wind farms providing energy to power grids in the southwestern United States, and several projects in development in the U.S. and Western Canada.

“Pattern is one of the leading wind energy and renewable energy developers and operators in North America, with over six gigawatts of renewable power installed globally ,” said Davis.

They operate several projects in Canada, throughout the United States and one project in Japan.

When it comes to wind, added Davis, “We believe Newfoundland and Labrador can support multiple, large scale, wind energy projects.”

For Kevin Aylward, that can’t become a reality soon enough.

Aylward, who was environment minister for the province during the 1990s, has been pushing wind energy projects here for years.

Currently there are just two wind farms on the island of Newfoundland, at St. Lawrence and Fermeuse, on the province’s south coast.

They are owned by Elemental Energy of British Columbia.

But a decision in 2007 by the government led by Danny Williams halted further development of wind energy.

The Williams government imposed a moratorium on development of wind energy.

At the time Beothuk Energy, a company co-founded by Aylward, had done a lot of legwork on a proposal to set up a wind farm in western Newfoundland.

The moratorium on wind farms pushed them back.

“We lost a decade on wind energy development because they (government) put a block on it,” Aylward told Saltwire.

A few weeks ago, Andrew Parsons, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, told the House of Assembly, the province will be lifting that ban within “weeks to months.”

“That policy change alone will open the door to large wind energy investments. in Newfoundland and Labrador,” he said.

Aylward added he’s heard of other companies that would like to like to explore wind projects in this province, and he’s optimistic the announcement by Pattern Energy is just a sample of things to come.

“This is the best wind energy resource in North America. Now it’s ripe for development, for commercialization.”

It’s been two days of positive news for the Port of Argentia.

The Pattern Energy announcement comes just a day after Cenovus announced it would resume work this year to finish building the Concrete Gravity Structure (CGS) for the West White Rose field.

Wayne Power is chair of the board for the Argentia Port Authority and deputy mayor of Placentia.

He said it’s a light at the end of the tunnel after the two years of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two announcements this week, he said, show the Argentia region has a promising future in the energy industry.

“It’s falling line with the direction the port is looking at to be the economic driver for the entire region, and the province.”

“This is the best wind energy resource in North America. Now it’s ripe for development, for commercialization.” Kevin Aylward

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2022-06-02T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-02T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://saltwire.pressreader.com/article/281874417041241

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