French renewable energy firm aims to develop offshore wind in Nova Scotia

Q Energy France and Hanwha Ocean have entered the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator’s pre-qualification process for seabed licences to develop offshore wind; the regulator will not disclose the number of applications or applicant names.

A French company and a South Korean partner have taken an early step toward developing offshore wind off Nova Scotia. Q Energy France and Hanwha Ocean jointly participated in a pre-qualification phase run by the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator that could lead to bids for seabed licences. The regulator accepted applications over a 90-day window that ended this week. This interest aligns with the provincial government's larger Wind West plan to expand offshore renewable energy. What is known: - Q Energy France and Hanwha Ocean jointly participated in the regulator's pre-qualification process for seabed licences to develop offshore wind. - The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Energy Regulator is reviewing applications to identify companies eligible for the next call for bids and will not disclose how many applications it received or the names of applicants, according to spokesperson Colleen Fiske. - To pre-qualify, companies were required to meet financial, technical, legal and social criteria and to submit documentation showing how they meet those requirements. - Q Energy executives said that if their team is pre-qualified, an estimated timeline for commissioning a project could be around 2035, and they described that estimate as subject to the regulator's timeline and infrastructure needs such as transmission and export lines. - The provincial Wind West plan envisions large-scale offshore wind development; provincial statements estimate the first phase could cost about $60 billion and produce roughly five gigawatts by 2030, and that additional phases could eventually exceed 62 gigawatts. Summary: Company participation adds to interest in Nova Scotia's Wind West ambitions and could lead to formal bidding for seabed licences. The regulator will complete its review to identify pre-qualified companies; beyond that, timelines, financing and final project approvals are undetermined at this time.