Premier Furey Welcomes Canada-Germany Hydrogen Alliance

The Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, is welcoming the signing of a Declaration of Intent to establish a Canada-Germany Hydrogen Alliance between the Governments of Canada and Germany. The signing of the declaration in Stephenville highlights the significant potential of Newfoundland and Labrador’s renewable energy resources, in particular its wind resources, and the opportunity to bring them to the global marketplace.

The purpose of the Declaration of Intent is to promote opportunities for a bilateral trade relationship pertaining to hydrogen and its derivatives, as well as hydrogen-related technologies, and to accelerate the expansion of the hydrogen industry and the improvement of infrastructure and supply chains. The German government’s focus is on green hydrogen, which is hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources, such as wind, that do not emit carbon. 

On April 5, 2022, the Provincial Government announced it would lift its moratorium on commercial wind energy developments to develop this valuable renewable energy resource with a focus on meeting global demand and furthering our work to tackle climate change. On July 26, 2022, in order to ensure a fair and transparent process, the government released Guidelines: Nominating Crown Lands for Wind Energy Projects. The Guidelines outlined a two-phased approach: 

1. Call for Land Nominations: Interested parties may nominate areas within which they wish to develop wind energy projects by October 1, 2022. Nominations will inform the selection of a land area(s) to be included in subsequent Calls for Land Bids.
2. Call for Land Bids: A Call for Land Bids will be issued by mid-December 2022. The Nominations process will be used to inform the competitive Bids process, which will enable the development and use of the province’s wind energy resources in a fair and transparent way, and in a manner that ensures the greatest long-term benefits.

“This is a historic day for our province, our country, and indeed the world. The establishment of the Canada-Germany Hydrogen Alliance today is great news. Newfoundland and Labrador are well-positioned to produce green hydrogen due to its abundant developed and undeveloped hydro resources, surplus grid energy, strong wind resources, available Crown land and fresh water, deep marine ports, and proximity to markets in North America and Europe. Our government took the bold step of lifting the moratorium on the wind to work with our regional, national, and international partners on the development of this resource, which will help our province to thrive in the low-carbon economy of the future,” said Honorable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.

From 2021 to the present, over a dozen companies have contacted the Provincial Government and/or NL Hydro, expressing interest in using the province’s wind energy resources and/or the Interconnected Electricity System, primarily to power the production of hydrogen/ammonia for export.

The Provincial Government has also been engaged with various industry associations and governments interested in pursuing opportunities for Newfoundland and Labrador to be green hydrogen/ammonia suppliers. The Provincial Government launched the Province’s Renewable Energy Plan in December 2021. The five-year economic development plan includes a number of action items related to the production of green hydrogen, including the drafting of a Hydrogen Development Action Plan.