John Risley calls time on green hydrogen plans but pursues wind transmission project

John Risley says the planned wind-to-green-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland will not proceed, and he now proposes a $16-billion subsea and overland transmission network to carry wind power from the Atlantic provinces to Hydro-Québec for possible export.

John Risley says the wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland will not proceed. He and a partner are proposing a new $16-billion subsea and overland transmission network to link the Atlantic provinces with Quebec. The network would carry onshore wind power from Newfoundland and offshore wind from Nova Scotia to Hydro-Québec, where the electricity could be exported. Risley frames the shift as a response to the current economics of green hydrogen and as a way to use planned wind capacity differently. Key details: - The planned World Energy GH2 hydrogen and ammonia plant in Stephenville will not go ahead, according to the announcement. - The new proposal is a 50-50 venture between Risley’s Clean Grid Atlantic and Pattern Energy, which was acquired by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in 2020. - Risley envisions an initial phase with about five gigawatts from onshore Newfoundland wind and five gigawatts from offshore Nova Scotia wind; by comparison, the earlier Port au Port proposal was up to one gigawatt. - The partners expect to spend more than $300 million on the proposal before a final investment decision, which Risley said could come in 12 to 18 months. - Hydro-Québec confirmed it is in discussions with a number of stakeholders in the Atlantic provinces, including Clean Grid Atlantic. - Risley says roughly 60 people are working on the proposal and that the plan has been part of weekly discussions with the federal Major Projects Office. Summary: The announcement ends the specific green hydrogen project in Stephenville and redirects effort toward building a large regional transmission corridor to export wind power via Hydro-Québec, which Risley says could support substantial construction and maintenance work. The proposers plan further study and expect to spend over $300 million before making a final investment decision in the next 12 to 18 months, while discussions with Hydro-Québec and other stakeholders continue.