Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) Canadian companies are preparing to export hydrogen from the country’s Atlantic coast to Europe in the coming years. Germany sees hydrogen as important in its efforts to move away from fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions, which is speeding up investments in Canada, Australia and Chile, according to Reuters reporting on Thursday.
Canada signed a non-binding agreement with Germany earlier this year to start exporting green hydrogen to Europe by 2025. Investors in Canada are looking to take advantage of available wind power and short shipping distance, with several companies preparing projects.
Renewable energy companies World Energy and Brookfield Renewable Partners announced they were planning to construct facilities, while Enbridge pipeline company noted it was thinking about starting hydrogen projects in the region.
Enbridge CEO Al Monaco pointed out that the 2025 target was aggressive. “Obviously it’s very hard to do… but I think East Coast Canada is positioned well,” he concluded.
Minh Khoi Le, hydrogen research head at Rystad Energy consultancy, pointed out that global production of green hydrogen stands at roughly 3.5 million tonnes annually. According to him, annual output could reach 31 million tonnes by 2030.
On the other hand, ARC Energy Research Institute deputy director Peter Tertzakian predicts that hydrogen will not play an important role in global energy.
He questioned the plan to generate electricity to produce hydrogen which is then shipped to be used to generate electricity. “I would characterise what’s going on as lab experiments on an industrial scale,” he concluded.
World Energy project
World Energy is planning to build a hydrogen plant and power it with 164 wind turbines on Port au Port Peninsula in Newfoundland, but locals are opposed to the idea. “We believe in green energy, but we don’t believe in destroying nature for profit or supplying Germany,” noted Marilyn Rowe, a local fighting against the project.
World Energy CEO Gene Gebolys stressed that the company will not start the project before it is approved by local authorities and is thinking about consulting with locals on
turbine locations. He pointed out that some locals support the project because it would create jobs.
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