Irish company plans renewable energy megaproject for rural Nova Scotia
Simply Blue Group says the project will create hundreds of local jobs and a new market for wood chips
Irish renewable energy firm Simply Blue is gearing up for a multibillion-dollar project on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore that's meant to convert wind, solar and biomass energy into jet fuel.
The company has been quietly working on the project for three years and shared details publicly for the first time on Friday.
The megaproject would include two sites in Guysborough County — a joint wind and solar farm in St. Mary's would connect, through a dedicated transmission line, to a plant in Goldboro. The plant would use the wind and solar energy, as well as wood chips, to power hydrogen production. The hydrogen, in turn, would power the production of what Simply Blue calls sustainable aviation fuel.
Simply Blue said sustainable aviation fuel offers a 90 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions relative to conventional jet fuel.
The fuel would be shipped from the plant in Nova Scotia by boat to distributors and airlines.
At a news conference in Halifax, Simply Blue CEO Hugh Kelly said the project would bring "significant inward investment to Nova Scotia."
In particular, it could be a boon for the forestry industry, which has been in need of new markets for biomass, including wood chips, since the 2020 closure of the Northern Pulp mill.
Simply Blue has a deal with Wagner Forest, a woodlot manager, to buy 700,000 tonnes of biomass annually. It said it would start stockpiling a couple of years before starting production.
Additionally, the company highlighted the potential for job creation. Once production begins, it said the plant could employ hundreds of locals.
"But most importantly," Kelly said, "[the project] will help us all deliver and make our own impact in helping to address the climate emergency."
The cost of the project
Simply Blue would not provide exact numbers, but said it has already spent tens of millions of dollars on engineering and feasibility work, and acquiring land.
Michael Galvin, Simply Blue's chief operating officer of hydrogen and sustainable fuels, said it will cost several billion dollars to get the project off the ground.
"I'm reluctant to give the exact figure because we are still at design stage and figures change."
Galvin said money spent so far has come from Simply Blue, which is funded by shareholders. The company is now looking for investors for the project and plans to make a final investment decision in 2026.
He said no public dollars have been committed to the project to date.
If the company raises the funds and gets all the necessary permits and approvals, Galvin said production could begin in 2029.
Simply Blue has not yet made any deals with buyers. Galvin said it's too early for a binding agreement, but he said the company has been engaging with airlines and distributors.
Earlier this year, Simply Blue closed a $12-million deal with natural gas company Pieridae to take over 108 hectares of land in Goldboro.
Immediately adjacent to that, Simply Blue has a three-year option on an additional 197 hectares, owned by the Municipality of Guysborough. It intends to build its plant on those two parcels.
Wind and solar farms would be built next to each other in St. Mary's, about 50 kilometres away from the plant. The company projects needing about 100 wind turbines.
Simply Blue would build the transmission line to connect the two sites, and the plant would connect to Nova Scotia Power's grid for backup power and to feed back any surplus electricity.
Galvin said the amount of energy exchanged between the plant and the provincial grid would be "modest."
Endorsements
Tory Rushton, Nova Scotia's minister of natural resources and renewables, was on hand at Simply Blue's news conference to offer an endorsement.
He said he liked that they're trying to bring business to Nova Scotia and reduce global carbon emissions.
"I also like the company's plan to make good use of low-grade wood fibre in our province," he said.
"This is going to create an enormous opportunity for many private landowners throughout Nova Scotia."
Barry Carroll, the CAO of the Municipality of the District of Guysborough, said the local government has unanimously supported the project, so far, but added that they'll be watching out for the best interests of residents.
"Council will be there scrutinizing every step of the process as they move forward," he said in an interview.
Criticisms
Tori Evans is a Guysborough resident and was not pleased to hear about Simply Blue's plans, particularly the wind farm.
"If this was a typical wind project, 10 to 15 turbines, greening our grid, that would be amazing, that would be something a lot of residents here would support," she said in an interview Friday.
But she said the scale bothers her.
Evans said in addition to Simply Blue's project, there are hundreds of other wind turbines proposed for Guysborough County. In her opinion, that's too many, especially considering most will not primarily be directed to local electricity needs.
Other wind farms proposed in the area are meant to power the production of green hydrogen for export to Europe.
Ray Plourde, senior wilderness co-ordinator with the Ecology Action Centre, took issue with Simply Blue's plans for biomass.
"The whole idea of burning our forests as a climate solution is insane."
"The volumes that they're talking about … 700,000 tonnes a year, is on par with a medium-sized pulp mill in terms of consumptive capacity. I don't think our forests and our biodiversity, our wildlife, can take that kind of industrial use."
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With files from Tom Murphy
