Protesters banned from blocking Newfoundland wind testing site

According to media reports, protesters from the town of Mainland on the Port au Port Peninsula in Newfoundland began blocking local roads in January in an attempt to stop access to wind testing sites. 

They want to stop World Energy GH2 installing wind turbines that would power electrolysers in the Port of Stephenville area and they claim that work which has already been carried out on the project is causing problems with the town’s supplemental water supply 

World Energy GH2 plans to install more than 3GW of wind projects in the area to allow Project Nujio’qonik to deliver approximately 250,000t/y of hydrogen using 1.5GW electrolysers at Canada’s first commercial green hydrogen and ammonia facility. 

The project’s first phase would see up to 1GW of onshore wind installed with a hydrogen processing facility in the Stephenville region, starting operation in 2025. Phase two would add a further 2GW in two other onshore sites while the hydrogen plant is expanded, while phase three would explore options for further capacity.

World Energy GH2 said the site is ideal because of its large onshore wind resource, deep-water marine facilities and available harbour facilities to support import and export. The area also has access to industrial water for hydrogen production and a 230kV grid connection.

Sean Leet, World Energy GH2 chief executive, said the delay caused by the protest was preventing the company from testing which turbines to install during one of the most critical windows for data collection.

Click here to subscribe to the green hydrogen bulletin to receive fortnightly dedicated news, analysis and comment straight to your inbox.

To submit a news, comment, case study or analysis idea for the green hydrogen bulletin, contact the editorial team.