Category: News

Tides of Opportunity: A Learning and Networking Event Series

Posted on by Alex Rumbolt

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.

Click Here to Register

Past Demonstrations:

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.

Click Here to Register

 

September 26 – C-CORE & enaimco

         

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.

Click Here to Register

October 12 – Edgewise Environmental and Copsys

     

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.

Click Here to Register

 

October 17 – Whitecap

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.

Click Here to Register

 

October 19 – Scanmudring and The Town of Holyrood

       

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.

Click Here to Register

 

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.

Major milestone for global green hydrogen industry achieved in Newfoundland and Labrador

Posted on by kieran

For Immediate Release
August 30, 2023

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.

Registration now open for econext 2023 Annual Conference

Posted on by kieran

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.

Click for More Info

CEO Message – July 11, 2023

Posted on by kieran

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!

Sincerely,

// Kieran Hanley
CEO

econext hosts research connector event to foster clean energy innovation in Newfoundland and Labrador

Posted on by kieran

For Immediate Release
July 4, 2023

This June econext, in partnership with Memorial University’s Research Innovation Office (RIO), held an event that explored opportunities to connect industry needs with research expertise.

“One of econext‘s primary objectives is to stimulate clean growth innovation in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Kieran Hanley, econext‘s CEO. “One of the ways that we do this is by working with our members to understand their challenges and opportunities, and then engaging with local research institutions to see if we can find a match.”

The event featured a number of econext members presenting on their challenge or opportunity to an audience of pre-identified researchers at Memorial University. Researchers then presented on their areas of expertise and interest. “The next step is for us to do what we can to match-make and encourage collaborative research projects between industry and academia.”

Last week’s event had a thematic focus on ‘batteries’ – for storage, EV charging and even recycling. “Electrification and energy storage are concepts that are both key to our province’s net zero objectives and clean energy growth,” said Hanley. “This is an area where econext will be very active in acting as a catalyst for innovation in the province.”

“The team at RIO works to bring industry partners and Memorial researchers together to help solve real challenges in today’s world,” said Dr. Paula Mendonça, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Memorial University. “Through our ongoing partnership with econext, we are able to enhance awareness about the world-class expertise and facilities available at Memorial. We look forward to future conversations and support clean energy solutions in the region.”

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.

RIO helps identify resources and facilitate connections to move ideas towards opportunities via industry connection, funding, IP support and programming. More information can be found at mun.ca/RIO.

econext formalizes partnerships between Atlantic Canada and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

Posted on by kieran

econext COO Abbie Hodder with His Excellency Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)

For Immediate Release
June 28, 2023

Atlantic Canada and the Caribbean have a significant history of interregional trade and partnership in sectors spanning cable and telecommunications, banking and finance, energy, and education.

In May, as part of its twelfth trade mission to the Caribbean region since 2015, econext formalized a partnership for the mutual benefit of the two regions.

“We are excited to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) as part of our trade mission,” said Abbie Hodder, econext’s COO and Director of International Business. “There is ample potential for collaboration between the four provinces of Atlantic Canada and the 11 OECS countries, and we look forward to putting this MOU into action.”

Atlantic Canada and the OECS have common regional strategic objectives. Beyond the promotion of trade and partnerships, the regions can exchange valuable information and experiences in areas of common interest including the support of local economies to becomes globally competitive, resilient, inclusive, and increasingly green.

The May 2023 trade mission consisted of eleven delegate organizations from Atlantic Canada engaging in over 150 meetings across four countries in the Caribbean region – Barbados, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. econext’s missions are multi-sector, but there is a strategic focus on green economy, blue economy, infrastructure, and education and training.

Firms in Atlantic Canada have many synergies with their counterparts in Caribbean markets. Hodder stated, “The products and services developed in Atlantic Canada can work well in other island and rural coastal environments, such as those found in the Caribbean.”
Hodder notes the region faces similar challenges such as the impacts of climate change, coastal zone erosion, distance from markets, and economies that are resource dependent. “We have a long history of trade with the Caribbean, and our commitment is to sustain and enhance this bond through meaningful reciprocal engagement.”

econext’s next Caribbean Trade Mission is set for November 2023. For information on how you can participate, please contact Abbie Hodder at abbie@econext.ca.

About OECS
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is an international organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration, protection of human and legal rights, and the encouragement of good governance among independent and non-independent countries in the Eastern Caribbean comprising Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Martinique and Guadeloupe.

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. A priority for econext is helping its members engage internationally; the association has helped develop relationships between Atlantic Canada and Caribbean markets since 2014 .

econext welcomes NL Green Transition Fund announcement

Posted on by kieran

On June 21, 2023 the Department of Industry, Energy, and Technology announced the launch of the Green Transition Fund. Program information and guidelines can be found here.

Text from econext CEO Kieran Hanley’s remarks at the launch event:

Thank you for the opportunity to be here today to speak to this wonderful announcement.

econext is an organization that works day in and day out to drive and support clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador.

That means helping our key industries become more competitive in a world that is increasingly concerned about greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts.

That means doing what we can to support new industries that help not just Newfoundland and Labrador, but the world fight climate change.

And that means working with communities to understand their role in all of this, and to maximize adjacent economic development opportunities.

In this work, econext finds itself in the middle between industry, governments, communities, and research institutions sharing ideas, experiences, challenges, and opportunities.

And through this work, we can see now that this province is on the verge of big things. Why? Simply put, we have what the world needs.

From our green electricity grid, to our world class undeveloped renewable energy resources, to our emerging clean fuels and energy storage hubs, to our rich cache of critical minerals… Newfoundland and Labrador has a clean energy advantage that positions us extraordinarily well internationally.

Let’s be clear. We have the resources here to fuel the world’s energy transition.

Newfoundland and Labrador has the ability to make a globally significant contribution in the fight against climate change. It is time to be bold and to seize these opportunities.

To succeed, we need more investment into research, development, and innovative green economic activity.

The Green Transition Fund announced today is a big step forward in that regard and will help ensure that Newfoundland and Labrador reaches its economic growth potential while advancing its pursuit of net zero.

Congratulations to Minister Parsons and to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on this announcement.

To econext members: this is a funding program that you have been asking for for a long long time. It’s going to be competitive. Get busy developing your project ideas. Make them innovative, and make them collaborative.

Let’s get to work.

From L to R: Kieran Hanley – CEO, econext; Dr. Michael Long – Dean of Applied Research and Innovation, CNA; Charlene Johnson – CEO, Energy NL; Hon. Andrew Parsons; Bruce Billard – Manager, Green Transition, IET; Kirk Youden – Director, Sector Diversification, IET.

econext looking for local building owners/managers to help pilot new energy management technology

Posted on by kieran

With the acquisition of the Zen Ecosystems assets, Mysa Smart Thermostats expanded its business and commercial focused offering. In order to further develop this business line, econext is helping Mysa find local businesses to partner with and deliver significant energy savings.

The Opportunity

  • Receive Zen Smart Thermostats + Zen HQ Energy management platform at a 50% discount. More info about Zen HQ can be found on the Zen HQ website or this video.
  • Receive support from the Mysa team on installation, setup, and management to deliver energy savings for your business. Existing Zen HQ customers are seeing over 20% savings on their energy bills.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Business must be located within the St. John’s Metropolitan area
  • Business must have more than 10 low voltage (24v) thermostats across their operations, in one location or multiple locations combined
  • Zen smart thermostats are compatible with most 24V HVAC systems but you can verify compatibility by reaching out to hq-support@getmysa.com
  • Business must have Wifi available so the thermostats can get connected to the internet and to the Zen HQ platform

Are you Interested?

Contact Daan Goossens, VP Growth at Mysa, at daan@getmysa.com.

econext seeking hosts for Fall 2023 Clean Energy Work Terms initiative

Posted on by kieran

econext is looking for businesses and organizations to host clean energy work terms students during the Fall 2023 semester.

“We have identified a series of challenges and opportunities for students to work on that we believe are important for Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean energy future,” said Kieran Hanley, econext‘s CEO. “By hosting a student who works in one of these areas, you will be helping to contribute to our province’s collective understanding of its emerging clean energy industry.”

Click to See Challenges/Opportunities

Hanley said that students will be encouraged to view challenges and opportunities through an entrepreneurial lens. “We know these things are technically feasible – what we want to better understand is if there are reasonable business cases to be made for them, and the work term students will be armed with supplemental training to allow them to start that assessment.” During their work term students will benefit from training delivered by the Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship (MCE).

Projects can focus on the technical or economic/business aspects of clean energy opportunities (not necessarily one of those listed), and thus work term students can come from engineering, business, and other faculties. “Our objective with this initiative is to get both the workforce and companies thinking about clean energy in Newfoundland and Labrador in an innovative way.”

Hanley said that there are various programs currently available which can help subsidize the cost of hiring a work term student. “Reach out to us and we can let you know which programs you are eligible for.”

If your business is interested in hosting a clean energy-focused work term in Fall 2023, contact Alex Rumbolt – econext’s Special Projects Coordinator, Marketing and Green Jobs – at alex@econext.ca.

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.

Clean Energy Challenges / Opportunities

Clean Energy Transportation Alternatives

Transportation accounts for approximately 34% of Newfoundland and Labrador’s GHGs. The transport of goods, services, and people via cars, busses, transport trucks, ferries, aviation, etc. has a significant environmental impact. A technical, environmental, and economic analysis could be undertaken to explore GHG reduction opportunities for NL through the adoption of zero emissions technologies for its heavy transport, bussing, and/or marine sectors. A plan for adoption that aligns with NL’s net zero by 2050 commitments could be developed.

Underground Hydrogen Storage

Large quantities of hydrogen can be stored in caverns for many years. The storage of large quantities of hydrogen underground in solution-mined caverns within salt domes, aquifers, excavated rock caverns, or mines can function as energy storage. When surplus electricity is available (from the grid or from hydrogen production operations) hydrogen can be produced and stored. This provides reserve product that can be utilized when intermittent electricity access reduces production at other times. It also provides access to energy that can be utilized to meet electricity needs during times when demand may exceed supply. Conduct a technical, environmental, and economic analysis to better understand potential role of underground storage opportunities for NL.

Underground Compressed Air Storage

Large quantities of compressed gas can be stored in caverns for many years. Compressed air storage can function as energy storage – and a method by which the supply and demand of energy can be balanced in a number of important ways. When surplus electricity is available (from the grid or from clean fuels production operations) air can be compressed and stored. When electricity is required, the compressed air can be released through turbine generators to create energy. Underground compressed air storage can help balance the supply and demand of electricity. Conduct a technical, environmental, and economic analysis to better understand potential role of underground storage opportunities for NL. Conduct a technical and economic analysis to better understand potential role of pumped storage opportunities for NL.

Domestic Decarbonization via Clean Fuels

Clean fuels are playing an important role in decarbonization internationally. With domestic production of clean fuels within the province it is logical to explore how they can contribute to the decarbonization of the NL economy. The use of locally produced clean fuels can help contribute to the long-term resilience and success of the industry and present R&D opportunities. A plan for decarbonization via clean fuels (e.g., hydrogen, clean diesel, SAF, etc) for NL could be developed.

Energy Pathways Modeling

Hydrogen production processes require access to renewable energy sources. While NL’s electricity grid is predominantly ‘clean’, there is limited capacity available to supply industrial projects. Yet there are abundant renewable energy resources that can be developed or optimized to increase the grid’s capability to support clean fuels projects. Moreover, there are a number of energy storage and energy efficiency options that exist which can accomplish the same. Not all options would be implemented simultaneously, but a combination of some of them could help balance supply and demand for electricity in NL and maximize its clean energy output. Modeling is required to understand what the best combination of activities would be to most efficiently maximize growth opportunities.

Direct Air Capture

Direct air capture (DAC) technologies extract CO2 directly from the atmosphere (i.e. large turbines). The CO2 can be permanently stored in deep geological formations in saline aquifers or can be utilized in processes such as food processing or synthetic fuel generation. The prospect of new wind energy developments in NL may present interesting DAC opportunities. When winds are high and electricity is in low demand, DAC systems could be powered by this excess clean electricity. DAC is most effectively used in areas that are windy (increasing the natural airflow through the fans), which makes their use in NL attractive. Such a process could create much-needed carbon offset opportunities for NL and its industries. Conduct a technical, environmental, and economic analysis to better understand potential role DAC opportunities for NL.

Carbon Offsets

To achieve net zero, NL will require negative GHG emissions activities to balance GHGs which are unfeasible to eliminate completely. Work is required to identify which carbon offset opportunities are best for the province (e.g., have the greatest GHG reduction potential at the lowest cost). The following are some options:

Forest Management
Forests sequester carbon in biomass through photosynthesis and are a natural carbon sink. Proactive steps can be taken that maintain or increase the effectiveness with which forests capture carbon. With a significant amount of forested lands, NL may present significant opportunities for such activity. Conduct a technical, environmental, and economic analysis to better understand potential role forest management opportunities for NL.

Peatland Restoration
Peatlands are terrestrial wetland ecosystems in which waterlogged conditions prevent plant material from fully decomposing. Restoring peatlands can increase carbon storage. The number of harvested peatlands in the province that can be restored is currently unknown. Conduct a technical, environmental, and economic analysis to better understand potential role peatland restoration may have for NL.

Seaweed
Seaweed sucks in carbon from the air as it grows. With its vast array of coastlines, NL may present significant opportunities for such activity. Moreover, there may be a number of potential uses for the biomass produced. Conduct a technical, environmental, and economic analysis to better understand potential role seaweed farming may have for NL.

Eeelgrass
One opportunity to achieve this is through the restoration or growth of eelgrass. Eelgrass sucks in carbon from the air as it grows. With its vast array of coastlines, NL may present significant opportunities for such activity. Moreover, there may be a number of potential uses for the biomass produced. Conduct a technical, environmental, and economic analysis to better understand potential role eelgrass may have for NL.

Survey: Environmental Training and Professional Development

Posted on by kieran

econext is seeking feedback from its members and our wider network to guide its delivery of training and professional development programming. Your participation in this survey will be a great help – it should only take you a couple of minutes to complete.

Complete the Survey

The deadline for participating is Friday June 2nd, 2023 @ 4:30 PM. For more information on this survey, please contact Colin Heffernan, Manager of Industry and Community Engagement, by e-mail at heffernan@econext.ca.