Environmental approvals conditionally greenlight Canadian LOHC project

North Atlantic Refining’s 30,000 tonne-per-year (tpa) wind-to-hydrogen project targeting liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) exports will proceed after completing an environmental assessment.

The project in Newfoundland and Labrador received conditional approval from the provincial government to advance, provided the firm secures environmental, energy, and transportation permits and implements water, wildlife, and land protection measures.

Located across Placentia Bay and Trinity Bay, it plans to use a 324MW wind farm to power green hydrogen generation and conversion into up to 60,000tpa of LOHC for transportation.

A timeline for its implementation has not yet been revealed.

LOHCs have been positioned as a cheap, simple way to transport and store hydrogen. By being combined with the carriers, hydrogen takes on a liquid form similar to that of hydrocarbons, allowing it to be used in existing energy transport infrastructure.

Despite their potential, critics point to energy efficiency penalties during hydrogen release as a key challenge ahead of commercial viability.

The conditional release comes shortly after Exploits Valley Renewable Energy Corporation filed an for its 180,000tpa wind-to-ammonia project in the province, expected for FID before 2030.

Earlier this year, in the region were stripped of Crown Land reserves, having failed to pay reserve fees, dealing a blow to the province’s green molecule export strategy.

Canada continues to position itself as a leading supplier of hydrogen and derivatives, utilising renewable energy resources, policy support, and access to global shipping routes.

In 2022, its government signed a pact with Germany aimed at building trade in green molecules, subsequently launching a joint  that would provide funding to green hydrogen projects selling to Germany.