Opponents voice concerns as Nova Scotia project bets billions on green hydrogen

If EverWind Fuels has its way, much than 400 caller wind turbines will beryllium popping up connected sky lines passim nan province, arsenic nan institution joins others touting their plans to go “first” to nutrient greenish hydrogen.

The institution has been inching its measurement done authorities approvals. Last month, it held 10 unfastened houses successful Nova Scotia’s Guysborough County to activity organization input connected nan astir 400 turbines it intends to build there.

On June 5, it submitted a connection to erect 49 turbines successful Colchester County for biology appraisal by nan province.

Wind for greenish hydrogen production

Green hydrogen is produced utilizing renewable resources, specified arsenic upwind energy.

When utilized arsenic a fuel, its only byproduct is water, making it a root of  cleanable energy.

Elemental hydrogen tin only beryllium produced from and stored pinch different elements, specified arsenic oxygen aliases nitrogen.

Wind-to-hydrogen projects usage turbines to powerfulness electrolysis, nan process utilized to divided hydrogen atoms retired of water.

In EverWind’s case, nan hydrogen would past beryllium mixed pinch nitrogen to facilitate shipping for export arsenic ammonia.

“We deliberation that greenish hydrogen and ammonia will beryllium a cardinal portion of fighting ambiance change, on pinch much renewable power and nonstop electrification,” says Brendan Chard, vice-president of powerfulness for nan company.

“We’ve sewage a very beardown upwind assets some onshore and offshore. There’s abundant caller water, onshore disposable to tract wind. And so, we deliberation that each of those ingredients make it a really economical and breathtaking spot to create a task for illustration ours.”

The institution has 2 memorandums of knowing pinch German companies to waste a cardinal tonnes of early greenish ammonia per year, arsenic Germany seeks to trim reliance connected Russian fossil substance products.

Some N.S.  residents opposed to nan plan

But location is section guidance to nan scheme and nan provincial government’s enthusiasm for it.

A citizens’ group called “Green Nova Scotia First” says it has plentifulness of concerns.

“I would for illustration for them to spell home,” says 1 of nan group’s founders, Steve Hart.

Hart is worried astir really building of truthful galore turbines could impact earthy residence and wildlife successful 3 counties.

The task successful his area is majority-owned by Membertou First Nation pinch EverWind arsenic a number partner.

“They person identified 94 wetlands. 4 of them of typical significance,” he says.

Field assessments conducted by Strum Engineering for nan project’s biology appraisal submission bespeak nan beingness of endangered mainland moose successful nan area, but wished utilizing areas already marked by quality activity would “reduce residence loss.”

It besides recovered 77 wetlands would beryllium disturbed by construction, adding, “The consequent area of effect will beryllium wished pursuing nan elaborate creation phase.”

“It is boilerplate verbatim conditional support compared to each nan different biology assessments retired there. It makes you wonder, there’s sewage to beryllium someplace amended to put this peculiar task for hydrogen usage that doesn’t person to destruct 77 wetlands,” says Hart.

The group besides questions nan project’s timing, urging nan state to attraction connected transitioning nan powerfulness grid to much cleanable power first. Right now, much than half of nan province’s energy comes from fossil fuels.

“There’s really going to beryllium nary abstraction near successful Nova Scotia. It’s going to beryllium really, really difficult to compression successful capable projects to get Nova Scotia’s grid clean,” says Green Nova Scotia personnel Gregor Wilson.

“It’s a big, large problem,” he adds, “Why would we beryllium exporting immoderate benignant of a upwind energy-related product, erstwhile we dearly request it present successful Nova Scotia?”

Chard counters that concern.

“At times, we will person much upwind disposable than we tin devour astatine nan accumulation facility. And that power will beryllium disposable to Nova Scotia Power to proviso customers present successful nan province,” he explains.

He says EverWind would besides salary $10 cardinal successful yearly tariff payments to nan inferior which will person a “interruptible” clause.

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“At times erstwhile nan upwind is much valuable to beryllium utilized successful Nova Scotia, nan inferior tin show america to extremity producing hydrogen, usage nan upwind that we’re producing, and that’s being delivered to nan grid, and usage that to service customers here,” he says.

Chard anticipates 20 to 30 per cent of its upwind powerfulness could spell backmost into nan grid.

‘It’s not a marketable commodity’

But immoderate experts successful nan hydrogen section stay captious of wind-to-hydrogen plans.

Chemical technologist Paul Martin is 1 of those experts and is besides a personnel of nan non-profit Hydrogen Science Coalition.

“We shouldn’t salary a cent of nationalist money towards it,” he says.

Martin says making hydrogen pinch upwind powerfulness is still excessively inefficient…which intends nan resulting hydrogen is expensive, and a home marketplace is yet to beryllium realized.

“Why is location nary hydrogen market? It’s not because group don’t usage hydrogen. It’s because group make hydrogen correct wherever they request it,” he says. “It’s not a marketable commodity. It’s a commodity that’s made and used, and it hardly moves immoderate region astatine all.”

The properties of hydrogen mean shipping it arsenic ammonia, which is besides perchance dangerous, he warns.

“Especially erstwhile it’s utilized astatine scale. Because ammonia is not conscionable toxic, it’s besides really corrosive… And arsenic a consequence of that truth and its biology toxicity arsenic well, it’s very toxic successful aquatic environments.”

Nova Scotia’s provincial authorities developed its greenish hydrogen scheme successful December 2023 and hailed it successful a news merchandise arsenic “a unsocial opportunity that will bring benefits to Nova Scotians for generations to come.”

An economical effect appraisal by Deloitte of nan company’s projected $13.7-billion finance project, which has been bolstered by a $125-million national indebtedness make thousands of jobs and billions successful GDP.

First Nation partners

Several First Nations are besides equity partners successful nan project.

“We want to beryllium self-reliant; we want to beryllium successful a position wherever we’ve taken measurement wherever we cognize we cognize we tin person longevity not conscionable processing wealth, but besides processing jobs,” says Rose Paul, CEO of Bayside Corporation, nan business limb of Paqtnkek First Nation.

As for immoderate biology concerns, Paul says their ain unit are intimately progressive and monitoring nan project.

“We’re stewards of our land, too, “ she says. “If this was thing that was harmful to our lands, I wouldn’t person [any] portion of it.”

Chard insists erstwhile nan installation enters production, much markets will create for greenish hydrogen produced successful Nova Scotia.

“We’re assured that arsenic that marketplace develops, we’ll beryllium capable to proviso our merchandise here,” he says.

EverWind has promised to commencement accumulation arsenic early arsenic adjacent year.