On October 26, 2023 econext held its annual conference – the largest since the event’s inception in 2012.
“The growth of this event is indicative of the scale of the green economy opportunity that we have here in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Kieran Hanley, econext‘s CEO. “It is clear that from wind, to hydrogen, to critical minerals, to energy storage – our province is on the leading edge of clean growth.”
The event, attended by over 300 participants, featured panel discussions focused on: next steps in the province’s emerging clean energy industry; challenges and opportunities in its pursuit of net zero; remaining environmental challenges its municipalities are facing; and green economy innovation.
“Three key themes emerged from the event,” said Hanley. “First – Newfoundland and Labrador is on the verge of a number of truly internationally significant developments. Second, our clean electricity grid is helping us to attract investment and decarbonize – but immediate action is needed to build out that system. And third – while we can make a global contribution in its fight against climate change, we have some work to do at the community level to improve environmental outcomes here at home.”
Hanley said that the event’s growth is also a reflection of the increased awareness of climate change and the importance of taking action. “There is great optimism that the realization of these significant clean energy opportunities can help us to address lingering issues related to waste, wastewater, and of course climate adaptation.”
econext Chair Alex Templeton, Natasha Reid (Transition Accelerator), Jennifer Williams (Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro), Mike McCann (IOC), and Hon. Bernard Davis (Minister of Environment and Climate Change).
The event was carbon neutral via carbon offsets purchased from Sharp Management.
“We would like to thank all of our panelists, moderators, partners, and attendees for contributing to such a special event”
econext is an association that accelerates clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador and works on behalf of over 200 members to foster environmentally sustainable economic development. More information can be found at https://econext.ca.
In an effort to maximize and accelerate the decarbonization of Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore through the development of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), the Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced a new CCUS Innovation Challenge.
econext CEO Kieran Hanley participated in the launch of the CCUS Innovation Challenge, with his remarks captured below.
Thank you Minister Davis.
Good morning everyone. Thank you Premier Furey. Minister Parsons.
On behalf of econext, we are very pleased to be here today at the launch of the CCUS Innovation Challenge.
econext is an association that is working to accelerate clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador by supporting and driving environmentally sustainable economic development.
In recent years we have found ourselves increasingly busy in helping Newfoundland and Labrador explore how it can fight climate change in terms of both strategy and technology.
Our analysis, through our Net Zero Project tells us that net zero by 2050 is simply not achievable in Newfoundland and Labrador (or the world) without initiatives that result in negative greenhouse gas emissions – or, projects that take carbon out of the atmosphere.
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage is a promising technology that can help us get there. It’s a technology with which we have some expertise in this province, and there is great opportunity for green economic development by focusing our efforts on solving this global issue.
And therefore, econext is thrilled with the creation of the CCUS Innovation Challenge. Targeted investments in innovation like the one being made today will help put our province on the leading edge of cleantech development on an international basis.
These technologies need to be advanced in order for us to reach net zero… and as luck would have it, we have no shortage of creative minds in our private sector and have experts in our post-secondary institutions – like Dr. James – that can move the needle forward.
And while some of the focus, rightfully so, is on the development of CCUS as it relates to our offshore oil and gas industry, the long term opportunity here for our province extends beyond that into some exciting areas of technology and we can’t wait to see what comes from this Innovation challenge.
To say that the future is bright for climate action in our province is a bit of an understatement.
From the low-carbon oil that we export, to the future production of clean fuels like hydrogen, to energy storage interventions, to mining the critical minerals that are required for electric vehicles batteries and other clean technologies, to carbon capture utilization and storage… our tiny province of Newfoundland and Labrador is going to have a mighty impact in the world’s fight against climate change. This will be great for our province’s environment and economy.
And so, a congratulations is deserved for Premier Furey, Minister Davis, and Minister Parsons on the launch of the CCUS Innovation Challenge.
Newfoundland and Labrador is positioning itself as an international leader in the energy transition, and timely and aggressive investments like this one go a long way in supporting that.
Between September 22-24, 2023, the inaugural econext Ideathon took place, seeing over 50 undergraduate students from Memorial University compete to come up with the best idea to solve energy efficiency challenges in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL).
“One of the biggest challenges the world will face in its pursuit of net zero will be how we manage our energy use and the same goes for NL,” said Kieran Hanley, CEO of econext. “What better way is there to come up with some new creative ideas than to engage with the talent in our university?”
Over the course of the weekend, 12 teams made up of undergraduate students across several disciplines developed their ideas and pitched their solutions to a panel of judges for the top prize of $3,000.
“Teams had access to subject matter experts from industry who volunteered their time as mentors,” said Hanley, “plus a series of workshops to help them refine their ideas and present their solutions.”
First Place Winner
The first-place prize, sponsored by Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, went to Eco-Elect (Tyara Andhin, Hannah Doyle, Kamsi Ifeanyichukwu, and Saju Vijayakanthanwho) pitched an economic inverter battery service and solution to help balance electricity demand at the residential level.
Second Place Winner
The second-place prize, sponsored by Hatch, went to Gravity (Samuel Adeoye, William Church, Mathew Emshey, and Lumi Oyelowowho) pitched a community-scale gravity-based energy storage system using existing infrastructure.
Third Place Winner
The third-place prize, sponsored by Mysa, went to TBA (Draco Dunphy, Syed Anas Minhaj Kazmi, and Fahim Yasir) who pitched a product and program to have EV owners in the province install smart charging systems to help avoid all EVs being charged at the exact same time.
The event’s opening ceremonies were sponsored by Aker Solutions, with TakeCharge sponsoring and providing support throughout the event.
“The level of excitement we saw this weekend and the quality of the solutions presented was remarkable,” said Hanley. “Our clean energy future is bright. Congratulations to all of those who participated.”
The econext Ideathon was made possible through partnership with the Business + Higher Education Roundtable, and with support from the Government of Canada.
More events will be taking place in 2024-25. If you are interested in partnering on a future event, please contact Alex Rumbolt at alex@econext.ca.
econext is an association that accelerates clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador and works on behalf of over 200 members to foster environmentally sustainable economic development. More information can be found at https://econext.ca.
The Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization bringing together some of Canada’s largest companies and leading post-secondary institutions. Since 2015, BHER has worked to harness the strengths of Canada’s business and post-secondary education sectors to build opportunities for young Canadians, boost innovation and drive collaboration. Learn more at www.bher.ca. Visit our WIL Hub for ways to explore, invest in and create quality WIL opportunities.
econext has formed a partnership with Marine Institute’s The Launch and the Town of Holyrood to inform job seekers on emerging opportunities in the green/blue economy.
“Our program has a number of components,” said Ogaga Johnson, econext‘s Director of Workforce Development. “The centerpiece of our work is the demonstration of the technologies and services of businesses that are active right here in Newfoundland and Labrador’s blue/green economy.”
Johnson said that the demonstration activities will give 180 job seekers, especially those from underrepresented groups, a chance to see firsthand the exciting and innovative work that companies are doing to understand and reduce environmental impacts on the environment.
Other program components will help meet emerging training needs by developing a plan for the Town of Holyrood to take advantage of evolving workforce needs and raise awareness about the job opportunities with the blue/green economy in Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Newfoundland and Labrador has immense expertise providing ocean technology solutions,” said Kieran Hanley, econext‘s CEO. “As the world pivots to the fight against climate change, these companies are well positioned to play a role in that. This program will allow the project partners to understand those green training needs and develop programs to apply them in the blue or ocean context,” said Hanley, noting that the project would benefit econext members, The Launch, the Town of Holyrood, and job seekers.
“We believe this initiative is a huge step in achieving our goal” said Mayor Gary Goobie “Our goal is to establish a cold ocean research and innovation hub, allowing companies and institutions to complete research, analyze data, and develop products to further enhance the global ocean industry while providing economic opportunities and growth in the region”.
The Town of Holyrood strategically established the Oceans Holyrood Initiative (OHI) to enable those engaged in ocean-related activities to have access to cold, clean water to develop technologies and techniques that positively affect the ocean sector.
Mayor Gary Goobie further said “Together with our partners econext and the Marine Institute, the Town of Holyrood is excited by the potential this project holds to bring our Town closer to realizing its goal of ensuring sustainability and growth for the future.”
“The Marine Institute is proud to collaborate with econext on this exciting project that will bring together NL’s Ocean tech community, training providers, and community organizations to create inclusive workforce development opportunities in the blue and green economies.” said Kelley Santos, Director of The Launch. Santos said that the Marine Institute’s Ocean innovation centre, The Launch, located in the Town of Holyrood, will provide access to workspaces, technology, vessels, and technical support for ten local oceans companies to “demonstrate their technology and provide training opportunities for their teams, collectively strengthening our capacity to sustainably manage our oceans from right here in NL.”
Matthew Grimes, Director of Business Development and Research at Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University said “econext’s mandate to support environmental technology and innovation is closely aligned with the Fisheries and Marine Institute’s work to foster economic development in ocean-related sectors. The Fisheries and Marine Institute has extensive experience in responding to industry needs and delivering community-based education and training. Through this partnership with econext, we can do even more to support Newfoundland and Labrador’s growing ocean and green economies.”
“The Government of Canada invests in economic diversification to help communities thrive and create new opportunities for people. This funding will help ensure that communities are driving their economic future while helping workers to develop the skills they need to get the jobs they want,” said Canada’s Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault.
Information on upcoming events on October 12, 17, 19, and 24 can be found here. For partnership, inquiries, or more information about the program, please contact Ogaga Johnson at ogaga@econext.ca.
About econext econext is a not-for-profit association that accelerates clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador, working on behalf of over 200 members to foster environmentally sustainable economic development.
About The Launch The Launch is the Marine Institute’s and Memorial University’s Ocean Innovation Centre, a state-of-the-art living lab that provides access to the world’s harshest cold-ocean environments and supports the development of ocean technology through R&D, testing, and demonstration to prove its real-world readiness. Users can train for safety and survival and operate technologies in conditions that accurately reflect those faced in the field. Developed by world-leading experts at Memorial University’s Marine Institute, The Launch provides the ultimate “proving waters” to put equipment, people, and ideas to the ultimate test.
About the Town of Holyrood
The Town of Holyrood is located on Canada’s east coast, making it the ideal location for all ocean-related industries. With access to some of the coldest waters in the world, a pristine harbour with world-class research facilities, and ample land and real estate available for development, Holyrood is the place to be.
This project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Community Workforce Development Program.
econext is calling for expressions from SMEs with an innovative idea, product, service, or technology that they would like to present to the attendees of econext’s 2023 Conference, to take place on Thursday October 26, 2023 at the Delta Hotel and Conference Centre in St. John’s, NL.
The ‘rapid-fire’ presentations at the conference are intended to be concise and 5 minutes in length. Presentations must demonstrate either
How the innovative idea, product, service or technology can have an impact in areas of clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador; or
How the idea, product, service or technology relates to any of the 2023 Conference themes which include:
Clean Energy – What’s Next
Leading Green Economy Innovation
Continuing Environment Challenges
Achieving Net-Zero by 2050
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSIONS
Please include with your submission:
Title and type of presentation proposed
250-word (approx.) summary of presentation proposed
Presenter’s name, affiliation, and brief biographical statement
Please submit by email to Colin Heffernan, Manager of Industry and Community Engagement with econext, at heffernan@econext.ca.
DEADLINE
The deadline for submitting an expression of interest is Wednesday October 4, 2023 @ 5:00 PM. Submissions will be reviewed on the basis of relevance to the conference themes and the significance of the content to the 2023 Conference audience. Submissions may be considered for presentation at future econext events.
econext may have an opportunity to work with local SMEs to support them in the development of their clean technologies.
Key criteria would include:
The solution must have the potential for new intellectual property to be developed
The solution must have the potential for clear environmental benefits when applied
The business must have raised private equity of at least $100,000 within the last 12 months (e.g., not government funding)
The solution must be innovative
If you feel that your business meets the above criteria, please contact econext‘s Manager of Industry and Community Engagement Colin Heffernan at heffernan@econext.ca.
Are you a job seeker or looking to learn more about careers in ocean clean technology?
Join us at Marine Institute’s The Launch in the Town of Holyrood to learn about companies right here in Newfoundland and Labrador that provide exciting technologies and services related to the ocean and the environment.
Tides of Opportunity allows individuals interested in or curious about oceans careers to navigate their future in the clean ocean industry through real-time demonstrations. Participants will have the opportunity to see world-leading technologies operating up close, learn about the SMEs, their technologies, and the potential career opportunities associated with them, and meet with potential future employers and colleagues.
Demonstrations will be taking place throughout the Fall – so stay tuned to this website for more information. A shuttle bus (leaving from St. John’s) will be provided for those requiring transportation to and from Holyrood. Details will be provided upon registration. Food and refreshments will also be provided, including snacks and a lunch.
Upcoming Demonstrations:
October 24 – Fugro, Kraken, and Ocean Startup Project
This event will take place 10:00 am – 3:45 pm. Doors open at The Launch at 9:30 a.m. Light snacks and lunch will be provided. Shuttle bus (leaving from St. John’s) to and from the event will be available. The bus will be leaving the MUN Core Science Facility at 8:30 a.m. and stopping at the Marine Institute at 8:45 a.m. It will then depart from the Launch in Holyrood at 3:45 p.m. returning to Marine Institute around 4:30 p.m. and MUN at 4:45 p.m. More information on transportation is available upon registration.
September 20 – eDNAtec & GRI Simulations – Complete
This event will take place 10:00am – 3:45pm. Doors open at The Launch at 9:30am. Light snacks and lunch provided. Shuttle bus (leaving from St. John’s) to and from the event will be available. The bus will be leaving MUN Core Science Facility at 8:30am and stopping at Marine Institute at 8:45am. It will then depart from the Launch in Holyrood at 3:45pm returning to Marine Institute around 4:30pm and MUN at 4:45pm.
This event will take place 10:00am – 3:45pm. Doors open at The Launch at 9:30am. Light snacks and lunch provided. Shuttle bus (leaving from St. John’s) to and from the event will be available. The bus will be leaving MUN Core Science Facility at 8:30am and stopping at Marine Institute at 8:45am. It will then depart from the Launch in Holyrood at 3:45pm returning to Marine Institute around 4:30pm and MUN at 4:45pm. More information on transportation available upon registration.
This event will take place 10:00am – 3:45pm. Doors open at The Launch at 9:30am. Light snacks and lunch provided. Shuttle bus (leaving from St. John’s) to and from the event will be available. The bus will be leaving MUN Core Science Facility at 8:30am and stopping at Marine Institute at 8:45am. It will then depart from the Launch in Holyrood at 3:45pm returning to Marine Institute around 4:30pm and MUN at 4:45pm. More information on transportation available upon registration.
This event will take place 1:00pm – 3:45pm. Doors open at 12:30pm. Lunch provided. Shuttle bus (leaving from St. John’s) to and from the event will be available. The bus will be leaving MUN Core Science Facility at 11:30am and stopping at Marine Institute at 11:45am. It will then depart from the Launch in Holyrood at 3:45pm returning to Marine Institute around 4:30pm and MUN at 4:45pm. More information on transportation available upon registration.
This event will take place from 10:00 am – 4:45 pm. Doors open at The Launch at 9:30 a.m. Light snacks and lunch will be provided. Shuttle bus (leaving from St. John’s) to and from the event will be available. The bus will be leaving the MUN Core Science Facility at 8:30 a.m. and stopping at the Marine Institute at 8:45 a.m. At 2:15 pm, it’ll depart the Launch to the Town of Holyrood building in Holyrood for a presentation and tour. It will then depart at 4:45 pm returning to the Marine Institute around 5:30 pm and MUN at 5:45 pm. More information on transportation is available upon registration.
Don’t miss out on this incredible event series! Mark your calendars and come prepared to ride the tides of opportunity. We look forward to welcoming you!
This project has been made possible by funding from the Government of Canada through the Community Workforce Development Program, a partnership between econext and the Marine Institute, The Launch, and the Town of Holyrood. Planning support for the project has been provided by Angler Solutions.
Four companies have been awarded exclusive rights to crown land in Newfoundland and Labrador to pursue wind-to-hydrogen projects.
“This is a major milestone for Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean energy sector,” said Kieran Hanley, CEO of econext. “In fact, this has international significance – our province is on the forefront of a new global green hydrogen energy industry.”
econext has already been hard at work identifying the jobs and skills that would be required for the emerging industry, and helping to prioritize opportunities for R&D and innovation. “Stay tuned for news on the work that we have been doing on these fronts,” said Hanley.
Much still has to occur before proposed projects advance, including environmental assessments, financing, approvals, and more. “Our Annual Conference will explore in detail what’s next for the sector,” said Hanley. econext‘s conference is taking place on October 26 in St. John’s – click here for more information.
“Congratulations to those proponents who have the opportunity to progress their projects in the near term,” said Hanley. “And to those who were unsuccessful this time around – we hope you continue to pursue clean energy developments in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
econext is an association of businesses that accelerates clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador and works on behalf of over 200 members to foster environmentally sustainable economic development. More information can be found at https://econext.ca.
econext‘s Annual Conference is Newfoundland and Labrador’s premier green economy event, attracting leaders in business, government, academia, and the community.
Join us on October 26, 2023 in St. John’s, NL to hear about the latest developments in the province from decision makers and thought leaders relating to clean energy, green innovation, ongoing environmental challenges, and the pursuit of net zero.
As we enter into the thick of Summer, it is worthwhile reflecting on the enormous activity that we have seen in Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean energy industry over the past month and a half.
There is a competitive process underway to access crown land for the purpose of wind energy development, and some of the interested players have recently made some big moves.
On June 1st, World Energy GH2 announced that it had successfully closed the acquisition of the Port of Stephenville. Managing Director and CEO Sean Leet said that “the Port of Stephenville is the cornerstone of our project and will position the Bay St. George area as a green energy hub.” This announcement was just days after the company announced a large investment from SK ecoplant into their Project Nujio’qonik which aims to produce green hydrogen in 2025.
On June 5th, the Port of Argentia, Pattern Energy, & Argentia Capital announced that they have reached an agreement on a planned renewable energy to green fuels project at the port. The port’s CEO Scott Penney said that “Pattern Energy is taking a Lease Option on some 6,000 acres of industrial and forest lands owned by the Port. Should it exercise its Option and proceed with the Project, it will construct a 300-megawatt wind energy facility designed to power the production of Green Ammonia for export to global markets.”
These are just two of the bids received by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador from 19 companies on March 23. Exciting weeks and months are ahead for the clean energy industry as we learn which projects will have the opportunity to advance. And the world is watching. Proof of global interest on what is happening here in this province was evident again with a recent agreement signed between the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands to cooperate on green hydrogen opportunities.
Update: The first phase of the competition was announced as complete shortly after this piece was published, with the process now expected to be finished by August.
While much of the focus has been on land, not to be forgotten is the wealth of wind resources available for development in Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore. Amendments were moved forward in Canada’s House of Commons to put important enabling conditions in place to allow for investment into offshore wind in the province.
And flying under the radar were important changes introduced to the province’s Electricity Power Control Act (EPCA) which will allow for utilities and the regulator to consider the environment as a factor in their decision-making. This will mean that decisions are not made solely based on cost and reliability – important because the most environmentally sound solutions are not always the cheapest ones. Our grid is inching close to being 100% clean, and we need to protect and capitalize on this great advantage.
Oh yes, and the Department of Industry, Energy, and Technology announced the launch of its $100 million Green Transition Fund. Learn about it in our webinar next week.
This list barely scratches the surface of the activity underway, and this is only within the past couple of months! econext has been busy working on workforce development, R&D and innovation, and economic development initiatives related to clean energy in the province, and we’ll have a lot more to say about that in the coming months.
… and clean energy is just one of our key priority areas. Luckily our team is growing to meet the demands and help NL seize its green economy opportunities, and if you follow us on LinkedIn you’ll get to know them all in the days ahead.
Suffice it to say that there’s lots to chat about, and we hope you’ll join us at our Summer Social next week to do just that!
As we enter into the thick of Summer, it is worthwhile reflecting on the enormous activity that we have seen in Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean energy industry over the past month and a half.