No Crown land, no problem: Pattern Energy says wind farm is full steam ahead in Argentia

One day after Pattern Energy's application to access Crown lands for wind-hydrogen development was denied by the Newfoundland and Labrador government, a high-ranking company official says their plans at the Port of Argentia are still going ahead.

Pattern was one of five companies that didn't get provincial government approval of their Crown lands applications, while four succesful applicants were announced Wednesday.

Frank Davis, the head of Pattern's Canadian operations, said he hopes to learn more in an upcoming debrief — but added he wasn't overly surprised by the decision.

"Our project at the Port of Argentia actually does not require Crown lands to proceed," Davis told CBC News from Toronto on Thursday.

"All of that [work] pertains solely to a project that will be located actually on private land that is owned by the Port of Argentia itself.… This site contains all of the lands we need to do a first phase project."

Pattern Energy has a deal with the port to use 6,000 hectares of port land to build a 300-megawatt wind farm, along with a hydrogen and ammonia plant and export facility.

Davis said an application was submitted to aid in the second phase of its development — expansion. But that's years away, he added, and isn't needed for the project's first phase.

Pattern's rejection may have come as a surprise to some on Wednesday, following a visit to Argentia by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland earlier in the week.

Freeland toured the facility and spoke with workers and the media on Monday, saying she believed in the project's future.

Davis said the corporation plans to re-enter the application process in a future call for bids. He reiterated the project will continue as planned.

"By no means have we abandoned any notion of expanding our project into the future," he said. "We want to be in Placentia Bay for decades to come."

Scott Penney, CEO of the Port of Argentia, said the door hasn't been closed on the project.

"We see a path forward," Penney said.

"It's still in the best port in the province. It still has the strongest, I believe, community support. It's the right size project and it's garnered the attention of decision makers in Ottawa… We're still focused on being the first to export to Germany."

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