The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, selects only 4 out of 24 candidate projects, including Nujio’qonik, Recognized for business viability and competitiveness
When fully operational, the 3-phase project will support 4GW of wind power, producing about 180,000 tons of green hydrogen and 1.08 million tons of green ammonia annually. A massive intercontinental green hydrogen project
Bloom Energy's Solid Oxide Electrolyzer (SOEC), to be supplied at scale for the first time, Sets a world record of producing 1kg of hydrogen with 37.5kWh of power
SK ecoplant to participate with a 20% stake in Phase 1 and play a crucial role throughout all processes ··· From project design and supply of electrolyzers to EPC of green ammonia plants
The intercontinental green hydrogen production 'Nujio’qonik' project, where SK ecoplant plays a key role, has passed a significant milestone towards its $15 billion 3-phase development. Beyond the ongoing Phase 1, the project has secured the necessary wind farm site for all three phases.
On the 31st (KST), Canada’s World Energy GH2, the project’s lead, announced that it had received approval from the Newfoundland and Labrador provincial government to use public land for wind power generation. The Nujio’qonik project aims to produce green hydrogen by electrolyzing water with wind-generated electricity and then converting it into green ammonia for transport to other continents like Europe. The project name 'Nujio’qonik' means 'Where the sand blows' in the indigenous language.
The project site is on Newfoundland Island, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Eastern Canada, on land formerly owned by the crown and now public. Portions of this land are leased to wind power and hydrogen production projects through competitive bidding. The Canadian government supports these initiatives to utilize the island's abundant wind resources, aiming to boost local employment and stimulate the regional economy.
The wind farm site selection was highly competitive, with 24 projects bidding. Comprehensive evaluations considered business experience and power grid connections. Only four projects, including Nujio’qonik, were selected. The approved land area spans 1,077.91 square kilometers, approximately 1.8 times the size of Seoul (605.24 square kilometers).
With this public land use approval, the Nujio’qonik project has secured the wind farm site needed for its 3-phase expansion. The potential wind power capacity is 4GW, nearly equivalent to 3-4 nuclear power plants. Earlier this year, they also acquired the key asset of Stephenville port for green hydrogen and green ammonia production and intercontinental transportation.
SK ecoplant holds a 20% stake in Phase 1 of the Nujio’qonik project through an investment agreement with World Energy GH2 made in May. SK ecoplant is responsible for the project’s Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) and will supply and install the electrolyzers for green hydrogen production. The EPC for the plant converting green hydrogen to green ammonia will be handled with its subsidiary, SK ecoengineering. The preliminary design (Pre-FEED) was completed at the end of August. This strong partnership will yield further achievements throughout the project’s three phases.
Each project phase will establish approximately 1GW of onshore wind power for electricity production and 600MW of solid oxide electrolyzers (SOEC) and polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzers (PEMEC) for green hydrogen production. When fully operational, the project is expected to produce about 180,000 tons of green hydrogen and 1.08 million tons of green ammonia annually. The target for green hydrogen production is 2025, with green ammonia production set for 2026.
Bloom Energy's SOEC, slated for supply in this project, uses high-temperature steam at 850°C for electrolysis. This method partially replaces the electrical energy consumed to extract hydrogen from water with thermal energy, making hydrogen production more efficient. A 500-hour operational demonstration at the Idaho National Laboratory under the US Department of Energy showed the production of 1kg of hydrogen with 37.7kWh of electricity, setting a world record. Recently, the Ames Research Center of NASA demonstrated a 4MW SOEC facility producing 1kg of hydrogen with 37.5kWh, further improving production efficiency.
Last month, World Energy GH2 completed the submission of Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) documents to the Newfoundland provincial government. This comprehensive environmental assessment for North America's first commercial green hydrogen project, one of the largest globally, is expected to accelerate the project’s progress once approved.
Rick Beuttel, Vice President of Business Development at Bloom Energy, expressed excitement upon hearing about World Energy GH2’s successful land bid and looked forward to the smooth progress of the Nujio’qonik project, along with strengthened partnerships with SK ecoplant.
Park Kyung-il, CEO of SK ecoplant, stated, "We are committed to fulfilling our role as pioneers in realizing the global hydrogen ecosystem, serving as a key player in this intercontinental green hydrogen project. We will make every effort to ensure the seamless execution of the Nujio’qonik project as we lead the commercialization of green hydrogen by 2025."
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