Author: kieran

econext celebrates announcement of Green Energy Hub in Newfoundland and Labrador

Posted on by kieran

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

Posted on by kieran

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

Posted on by kieran

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

Posted on by kieran

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

Posted on by kieran

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

econext Member Survey: Environmental Assessment Processes in Newfoundland and Labrador

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econext is seeking input from its membership and practitioners in NL on their environmental assessment (EA) experiences.

If you have recently been involved in EA processes in the province we are hoping you will be willing to fill out a short survey.

Click Here to Take Survey

Responses from this survey will help inform econext‘s engagement with decision-makers on this important subject.

If you would like to discuss your feedback in greater detail, please contact Kieran Hanley at kieran@econext.ca.

Accelerating Value from Waste Innovation in Newfoundland and Labrador

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Newfoundland and Labrador has a small population spread across vast areas of land. Its communities and industries are often found in rural and sometimes even remote areas. These circumstances make the provision of waste management services challenging. Processes and technologies that are proven elsewhere often are uneconomic in the NL context due to smaller scales of activity and volumes of waste.

Organics represent roughly a third of the province’s waste. While much of this material is sent to landfills, in many cases that organic waste has value. This project ran from 2022-24 and focused on exploring new uses for industrial organic waste streams, with objectives to: improve environmental outcomes via reduced landfilling; increase productivity for businesses by reducing their wastes; and create new business opportunities in NL where new value from waste can be achieved.

The project aimed to accelerate value from waste innovation in NL through strategic research, firm-level interventions, and sector-level initiatives.

Organics Waste to Value Forum

Efforts to develop effective waste-to-value initiatives and enterprises for organics in NL have struggled to gain traction or become sustainable. Given the growing interest among multiple groups in pursuing these opportunities, econext partnered with The Harris Centre to engage in a cross-sectoral dialogue on the opportunities, challenges, strategies and policy implications for advancing the development of organic “waste-to-value” approaches and enterprises in the province. The forum was held on April 22, 2022 and informed in part by the research identified above. Other event partners included the NL Forestry Industry Association (NLFIA), the NL Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA), the NL Federation of Agriculture (NLFA), the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation (CCFI), and the Association of Seafood Producers.

Firm-Level Interventions

Informed by the strategic research and forum, through the life of the project econext worked directly with over 24 SMEs and organizations in NL to help them identify value from waste opportunities, refine ideas and concepts, and develop project proposals to attract partners and funding. Some of the projects which econext helped to shape have advanced from concept to implementation, resulting in real waste management challenges being solved through local innovation.

Strategic Research

Research was undertaken to identify industrial organic waste research, development, and innovation opportunities in forestry, aquaculture, fisheries, and agriculture on an Atlantic Canadian basis.

Pilot Initiatives

Through the life of the project, econext experimented with different approaches to support and stimulate value from waste initiatives in NL. These included:

Discussion Paper – Biomass Energy Potential in Newfoundland and Labrador

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Forthcoming.

Clean Energy Innovation Industry Advisory Committee

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In 2023 econext formed Newfoundland and Labrador’s Clean Energy Innovation Industry Advisory Committee (IAC). The IAC is made up of representatives from utilities, clean energy developers, industry associations, and research institutions.

The purpose of the IAC is to identify and prioritize innovation opportunities based on real world challenges and opportunities facing the province’s clean energy industry.

The results of this work feed into all of econext‘s efforts to advance clean growth research, development, and innovation in NL – from engaging students in the organization of ideathons to matching needs with local research capabilities.

Where there is mutual interest in the pursuit of innovation, econext facilitates partnerships through the development of collaborative projects and initiatives.