HALIFAX—Oceans North is celebrating today’s high-level agreement between Germany and Canada to encourage the development of green hydrogen and hydrogen-derived fuels.

“If we’re going to meet our climate goals and remain competitive in a decarbonized world, we need to start investing in zero-emissions fuels and technologies now,” says Brent Dancey, director of marine climate action at Oceans North. “Today’s announcement is a game changer for both the environment and the economy.”

Green hydrogen and fuels derived from it are particularly useful for industries that cannot easily switch to electricity. These include shipping, which is responsible for nearly 3 percent of global emissions—similar in volume to the aviation industry. Oceans North released a report last year, Charting a Course for Net Zero, that examined how ports and the maritime sector provide an opportunity to scale up hydrogen supply and demand.

Today’s announcement is in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, the proposed site of a major wind farm that would power the production of green hydrogen and ammonia. A memorandum of understanding has also been signed between EverWind, a Nova Scotia-based company, and E.ON to produce one million tonnes of green ammonia per year for export to Germany. Locating hydrogen generation near ports, as both projects have done, will help serve international energy markets while helping to build domestic capacity for the uptake of green hydrogen. It’s an important step that supports both Canada’s 2050 climate target and its goal of becoming a world leader in providing zero-emission fuels and technologies to the world.

“This a forward-looking announcement that will provide lasting economic benefits and help the world achieve its climate goals,” says Trevor Taylor, vice-president of conservation at Oceans North. “There’s a lot of renewable energy potential across Atlantic Canada. The transition is happening now and we need to seize the moment.”

For more information, please contact:

Alex Tesar
Communications Manager
[email protected]

 

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