Author: kieran

econext leading Newfoundland and Labrador business delegation to German wind energy conference

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ST. JOHN’S, NL – With support from the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology (IET), econext is facilitating the participation of businesses from Newfoundland and Labrador in the WindEnergy Hamburg conference and exhibition.

“There is over 23GW of wind-to-hydrogen production being pursued in Newfoundland and Labrador,” says Abbie Hodder, econext‘s Chief Operating Officer and Director for International Business. “This is attracting significant global interest to our province and presents enormous opportunity for our businesses to build new international partnerships.”

Many of the participating businesses are availing of matchmaking services which help them find those opportunities through a schedule of pre-qualified meetings.

“Newfoundland and Labrador is on the front lines of the world’s emerging hydrogen industry,” says Hodder. “Our clean electricity grid, availability of land and water, proximity to Europe, existing port infrastructure, and a ready supply chain and workforce that is accustomed to supporting mega projects – collectively have positioned us to be an international leader in this space.” This is the reason, said Hodder, behind close collaboration with countries like Germany whereas a Declaration of Intent was signed between Newfoundland and Labrador and the City of Hamburg in 2022 which shortly followed a visit from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Stephenville in 2022.

econext is partnering with Marine Renewables Canada on the trade mission. WindEnergy Hamburg is also an event which presents opportunities for SMEs in Atlantic Canada with oceans-based expertise to explore applications in the international offshore wind energy industry.

“Canadian businesses have strong capabilities in offshore wind, after decades of experience working in oil and gas and marine sectors that translate well to directly support offshore wind energy development,” said Amanda White, Operations Director at Marine Renewables Canada. “While Canada is in the early stages of establishing an offshore wind market, attending WindEnergy Hamburg presents an invaluable opportunity for Marine Renewables Canada and econext, along with our trade mission delegates, to gather information, make connections and hear lessons learned that can help accelerate the development of Canada’s clean energy sector.”

WindEnergy Hamburg is a world-class global trade fair dedicated to the growing wind energy sector. The event attracts more than 1,400 exhibitors showcasing the latest advancements and innovations in the wind energy industry. It also draws a diverse and international audience, with more than 35,000 attendees from over 100 countries. WindEnergy Hamburg is an optimal event for networking, getting market intelligence on the global wind sector, and identifying new business opportunities.

IET contributed $44,250 to support econext’s trade mission to WindEnergy Hamburg. More details about WindEnergy Hamburg can be found here.

econext is a not-for-profit association with a mission to accelerate clean growth in NL. econext has been working for over 30 years on behalf of its members across many sectors to support environmentally sustainable economic development. econext is a driver for clean growth innovation in the province, a coordinator of green workforce development, and a catalyst for net zero by 2050 planning within NL’s communities and industries. More information can be found at https://econext.ca.

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Media Contact
Kieran Hanley
kieran@econext.ca

Various Positions

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Annual Conference

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econext‘s annual conference was created in 2012 and since that time has become Newfoundland and Labrador’s premier green economy event, attracting leaders in business, government, academia, and the community. Learn about the history of the event.

Click the links below for historical information on each conference.

Clean Energy Initiative

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The Clean Energy Initiative is a collaborative project led by econext – in partnership with College of the North Atlantic, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and Trades NL – to prepare Newfoundland and Labrador’s workforce to support and succeed within the province’s emerging clean energy industry.

The Clean Energy Initiative is guided by a steering committee which includes broad representation from governments, post-secondary institutions, trades, Indigenous groups, and industry.

The project has five components which are being pursued in tandem.

Identifying Workforce Capacity Gaps

econext is undertaking comprehensive research to identify the jobs and skills that will be required in Newfoundland and Labrador to support wind energy, hydrogen, and other clean fuel projects, as well as electricity grid investments. This analysis will compare the projected workforce needs over the next 10-15 years, in terms of both quantity and qualifications, with the current resources available in the region. The results from this analysis will support industry’s workforce attraction and retention strategies including upskilling and training initiatives.

Meeting Short-Term Workforce Needs Through Attraction and Retention

Building on the findings from the workforce capacity analysis, econext is developing a comprehensive attraction and retention strategy to ensure that the workforce is available (and ready) to support clean energy developments in NL.

Help Meet Short-Term Workforce Needs Through Upskilling

In collaboration with partners, econext is defining and developing targeted upskilling programs based on the workforce capacity analysis to prepare the local workforce for emerging opportunities in the clean energy sector.

Develop Hydrogen-focused Post-Secondary Curriculum and Courses

Based on the results from the workforce capacity analysis, econext is working with post-secondary education partners to explore enhancements or additions to program curriculum to ensure that NL’s workforce is equipped to meet future demands.

Create Greater Awareness of Job Opportunities and Requirements

Leveraging insights from these initiatives, econext will lead an education and awareness campaign to encourage the workforce to participate in Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean energy industry.

econext celebrates announcement of Green Energy Hub in Newfoundland and Labrador

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For Immediate Release
July 23, 2024

Today North Atlantic announced a new Green Energy Hub to stimulate growth and advance export-oriented projects in the province’s green energy and low-carbon sector.

“Newfoundland and Labrador is on the frontier of a new global hydrogen industry,” said econext’s CEO Kieran Hanley, “and North Atlantic’s commitment to developing a green energy hub gets us one step closer to realizing the great potential that is in front of our province.”

The Green Energy Hub will aim to:

  • Develop, advance, and execute green hydrogen projects and export the products they produce.
  • Foster research and training opportunities that will be available for the participants in the green hydrogen industry.
  • Act as a focal point for energy export.
  • Serve as a catalyst for domestic hydrogen distribution and use

“In addition to the commercial/industrial plans which have been laid out, we are excited to see a deliberate focus on research and training,” said Hanley. “Being on the front end of this new global hydrogen industry, investments in workforce and innovation will help ensure Newfoundland and Labrador benefits from a lasting clean energy legacy.”

Last year econext published a discussion paper exploring opportunities to maximize the economic development potential for the province associated with its growing clean energy industry.

“One of the key opportunities we identified was for Newfoundland and Labrador to strive to become a global leader in research, development, training, and innovation,” said Hanley. “We congratulate North Atlantic in helping the province advance its position in this regard in a very tangible way.”

econext is a not-for-profit association with a mission to accelerate clean growth in NL. econext has been working for over 30 years on behalf of its members across many sectors to support environmentally sustainable economic development. econext is a driver for clean growth innovation in the province, a coordinator of green workforce development, and a catalyst for net zero by 2050 planning within NL’s communities and industries. More information can be found at https://econext.ca.

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Media Contact
Kieran Hanley
kieran@econext.ca

Developing a New Climate Change Action Plan: Recommendations for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

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econext has released a series of recommendations for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to consider in the development of its new Climate Change Action Plan.

Embracing proactivity in the pursuit of net zero can ensure that decarbonization is not something that ‘happens to’ NL, but rather it is something NL is helping to design, lead, and benefit from.

There are many different activities that NL could take to fight climate change. econext has attempted to focus on a small number of direct actions that can be taken that will have the greatest positive impact. econext considered environmental and economic impacts, aspiring to arrive at recommendations that were likely to achieve significant results for both.

In developing these recommendations, econext engaged its membership, leveraged the different areas of expertise of its 13 full-time staff, and was guided by its Board of Directors.

econext arrived at 19 recommendations spread across 7 distinct themes:

  • Ensure long-term access to clean electricity;
  • Maximize domestic clean fuels opportunities;
  • Assist heavy industry in its decarbonization;
  • Support businesses to contribute to net zero;
  • Include buildings as part of the solution;
  • Establish strategic regional partnerships; and
  • Define the negative emissions opportunity.

Download Recommendations

Circular Economy in NL Agriculture – Sheep Farming

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econext, in collaboration with the Sheep Producers of Newfoundland and Labrador (SPANL), facilitated a workshop February 9, 2024, in Clarenville. In addition to the SPANL board and econext staff members, representatives from Heritage NL, NL Craft Council, NL Federation of Co-Operatives, Go Western Tourism, and the Department of Fisheries Forestry and Agriculture attended. The workshops focused on the barriers to utilizing wool in the province, which otherwise was being landfilled or burnt, and explored opportunities. Three opportunities have arisen from this workshop which continue to be pursued:

  • First, a producer has identified an existing technology which will allow it to produce fertilizer pellets with their discarded wool, and is actively seeking to finance this initiative.
  • Second, sheep farmers have been connected with an entrepreneur looking to establish a micromill which has the potential to use the wasted wool resource.
  • Third, a social media group has been established and events are being held with the intent to connect sheep farmers with the craft community to use the wasted wool resource.

econext feels that the lessons learned from this pilot initiative have the potential to be applied in other aspects of agriculture in NL.

Trade Mission: WindEnergy Hamburg – September 24-27, 2024

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econext is leading a delegation to WindEnergy Hamburg, taking place September 24 to 27 at the Hamburg Messe in Germany. The trade mission is in partnership with Marine Renewables Canada.

WindEnergy Hamburg is a premier global trade fair dedicated to the wind energy sector. The biennial event attracts a substantial number of participants, with over 1,400 exhibitors showcasing the latest advancements and innovations in the wind energy industry. It draws a diverse and international audience, with more than 35,000 attendees from around 100 countries. Spanning across a vast exhibition space of approximately 65,000 square meters, WindEnergy Hamburg serves as a critical platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and business development in the renewable energy sector.

There are two options for participation.

Option 1
Available only to companies based in NL
$850 + HST

  • Lead generation and matchmaking support pre-mission
  • One Conference pass per company (€194 value)
  • In-market networking event
  • Site tour
  • Mission preparation support
  • On the ground support from econext and MRC
  • Travel funding support pending eligibility

Option 2
$425 + HST

  • One Conference pass per company (€194 value)
  • In-market networking event
  • Site tour
  • Mission preparation support
  • On the ground support from econext and MRC
  • Travel funding support pending eligibility

A limited number of spaces are available for each option. To apply, please email Abbie Hodder at abbie@econext.ca.

econext supports provincial government decision to undertake carbon offsets research

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For Immediate Release
July 10, 2024

econext is pleased with the provincial government in its decision to acquire a better understanding of carbon offsets opportunities within the province.

“In the work that we have done, barring the invention of a variety of new technologies, we know that Newfoundland and Labrador cannot reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to absolute zero,” said Kieran Hanley, econext‘s CEO. “If we are to achieve net zero by the year 2050, finding negative emissions opportunities is necessary.”

Hanley said that ideally negative emissions initiatives would be homegrown within the province, which is why the study being undertaken by the Department of Environment and Climate change is so important. On Tuesday, the provincial government issued a request for proposals for a “Potential Carbon Offset Study and Projects Study“.

Negative emissions projects can range from nature-based solutions such as improved forest management processes to highly technological solutions like the direct air capture of GHGs using a combination of clean energy, suction, and carbon storage innovations.

Hanley said that econext believes if GHGs are created in NL that they should be offset here as well. “We want to make sure that the economic benefits from negative emissions projects – from the jobs associated with their development to the revenues from their operations – are accrued within our province.” Carbon offset projects present economic opportunities, but Hanley cautions that it is wise for innovators to get a more clear picture of what policies will look like before advancing their ideas too far.

“Carbon offsets programs are highly complex with rigorous requirements,” said Hanley, “as they should be, because we must have great confidence in the way in which GHGs are being managed.” Hanley noted that uncertainty remains in how offset programs nationally and/or provincially will work, “but in our work we saw that a clear first step is to understand what types of negative emissions projects in NL have the most potential in terms of both scale and economics.”

“The research being pursued by our provincial government will provide invaluable insight as to what the best opportunities are and where we should focus our future efforts from the perspectives of public policy, research and development, and investment.”

econext is a not-for-profit association with a mission to accelerate clean growth in NL. econext has been working for over 30 years on behalf of its members across many sectors to support environmentally sustainable economic development. econext is a driver for clean growth innovation in the province, a coordinator of green workforce development, and a catalyst for net zero by 2050 planning within NL’s communities and industries. More information can be found at https://econext.ca.

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Media Contact
Kieran Hanley
kieran@econext.ca

RFP: Online Training Course Module Development

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econext is seeking the services of a qualified vendor to build interactive and engaging online course modules with the following features: videos, case studies, presentations, and evaluation that would be used to educate small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) on important aspects of the green economy in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL).

The deadline for submissions is August 14, 2024. Questions and answers pertaining to the RFP will be posted on this page leading up to the deadline. The deadline for questions is August 9, 2024.

Download RFP