Energy Plan - Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Hydrogen
Hydrogen is often characterized as the fuel of the future, because it is clean
and can be made from a variety of sources. The province’s abundant wind
and hydroelectric resources provide us with a natural advantage for the clean
production of hydrogen using electrolysis powered by renewable energy. At the
smaller scale, our interest in hydrogen has already led to Ramea’s wind-dieselhydrogen
integration project.
NLH has become a member of the North Atlantic Hydrogen Association (NAHA),
which undertakes hydrogen research and development projects, including those
related to harsh and remote environments and the North Atlantic region. NLH will
also work with other companies from Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Denmark and
Norway to study hydrogen as an energy carrier, with specific emphasis on the ties
between renewable energy resources and hydrogen. In the future, Newfoundland
and Labrador could be among the lowest-cost large-scale producers of hydrogen.
These other partners share our need for breakthroughs in hydrogen storage and
transportation and the NAHA will provide a forum for collaboration on these
issues.
Ramea
A remote, wind-swept island off the south coast of Newfoundland is perhaps not the first place that you
would look for a demonstration community for the future. But this small island community of Ramea with 618
inhabitants is where one of the most exciting projects ever developed by NLH and its partners will be tested.
The project looks towards a future largely independent of fossil fuel.
Its windy situation makes Ramea a natural choice for wind power production, and the wind turbines installed
will produce a significant excess of power under optimal conditions. However, power production from wind is
unreliable; when there is too little or too much wind, the turbines won’t run.
NLH is looking for a way around this problem.
At Ramea, excess power will be stored as
chemical energy in the form of hydrogen.
When it is windy, electrolysers will produce
hydrogen for storage, and when it is calm, a
hydrogen engine will convert the hydrogen back
to electricity. The power consumption of the
islanders varies, but the stored hydrogen will
ensure that sufficient renewable power can be
generated at any time – even when consumption
is high and wind activity is minimal. As a
first demonstration community, the efficient
and cost–effective integration of wind power,
hydrogen and diesel will be pursued before
new communities are added. Ramea will be a
model for the hydrogen economy.
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