Minister's Response — Port au Port-Stephenville Wind Power and Hydrogen Generation Project (also known as Project Nujio'qonik)

Physical Activities

World Energy GH2 Inc. is proposing to construct, operate, and decommission a new hydrogen and ammonia production facility and two new wind farms, all located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland. The project would produce roughly 140,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year at the facility located in Stephenville, most of which would be converted to ammonia. Each wind farm (one located in the Port au Port Peninsula area and the other in the Codroy area) would contain up to 164 wind turbines and produce roughly one gigawatt of renewable electricity. The project would cover a surface area of roughly 4,100 hectares and operate for about 30 years.

Decision

The project does not warrant designation.

Reasons

Pursuant to section 9 of the Impact Assessment Act (the IAA), I, Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, considered the potential for the project to cause adverse effects within federal jurisdiction, adverse direct or incidental effects, and public concern related to these effects; as well as adverse impacts on Indigenous Peoples. In forming my opinion, I took into account the analysis prepared by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada.

I am of the opinion that the designation of the project is unwarranted for the following reasons:

• The legislative processes that currently apply to the project and related consultations with potentially impacted Indigenous Peoples provide a framework to address the potential adverse aforementioned effects and concerns raised by Indigenous Peoples and members of the public. These processes include:
  • the ongoing provincial Environmental Assessment in accordance with Newfoundland and Labrador's Environmental Protection Act in which Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Transport Canada, and Health Canada participate as federal experts;
  • provincial licences, permits, approvals and reporting requirements that may be required for the project pursuant to the Environmental Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, Water Resources Act, and Management of Greenhouse Gas Act; and
  • federal authorizations, approvals, and reporting requirements that may be required under the Fisheries Act; Species at Risk Act; the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994; Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999; the Canadian Navigable Waters Act; and the Canada Shipping Act, 2001.
• The project must be carried out in compliance with federal and provincial legislation, including the Fisheries Act; the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999; the Species at Risk Act; the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994; Newfoundland and Labrador's Environmental Protection Act; the Endangered Species Act; the Water Resources Act; and the Management of Greenhouse Gas Act.