Renewable partnerships

Nova Scotia’s commitment to renewable energy opens door to collaboration with Québec

By David Pye

Québec and Nova Scotia share a common mindset when it comes to addressing climate change as a priority, laying the foundations for an abundance of win-win opportunities moving forward. As Nova Scotia’s commitment leans toward greater adoption of renewable energies, Québec’s experience, expertise, natural resources, geographic proximity, and cluster of mature industry players position it as a viable partner in the achievement of those objectives.

Global perspectives

According to a Deloitte report (2023 renewable energy industry outlook), renewable energy growth will accelerate globally in 2023, driven by concern for climate change and demand for cleaner energy sources from most market segments. New technologies, business models, and infrastructure developments will all contribute to more consolidated supply chain ecosystems and sustainable growth.

Collaborative synergies

As home to Marine Renewables Canada, an organization dedicated to energy solutions derived from ocean energy resources and technologies, Halifax is already a centre of partnerships. The non-profit fosters collaboration across the country between industry, academia, and government to position Canada as a global leader in marine renewable energy solutions. The organization’s collaborative model demonstrates how concerted efforts are helping to advance the state of the art of emerging technologies that will ultimately contribute to a greener future.

Québec has a long track record of such collaborations, particularly with stakeholders involved in researching, developing, and implementing viable energy solutions. Increases in public and private investments, revisions in governance, refined resource development, and government incentives have all been built into the government’s commitment to a greener future, which includes a commitment to providing Québec consumers with multiple renewable energy options by 2030.

The phasing out of fossil fuels includes initiatives such as regulating biofuel increases in gasoline and diesel, increasing Québec-based production of renewable natural gas (RNG), and banning sales of gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. In parallel, the government is fostering greater adoption of transport electrification through offers of tax credits for electric vehicle and charging station purchases, while also investing in research and development focused on advancing state-of-the-art electrification for heating systems, industrial processes, and much more.

Québec’s energy ecosystem

As a result, Québec boasts a mature energy ecosystem that is poised to expand beyond its borders as a North American leader in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The energy sector currently accounts for $13 billion of Québec’s gross domestic product, and investments in capital and expenditures in the clean energy sector continue to rise. To date, approximately $10 billion has been invested in the development of Québec wind farms, and new clusters of activity have emerged around biofuels, hydrogen, renewable natural gas, and transport electrification.

Québec is also one of the largest producers of hydroelectricity in the world, enabling the province to deliver 37% of its energy needs from a 99% clean and renewable source, compared with just 5% of electricity generated from renewable sources worldwide. Furthermore, the province’s leading utility, Hydro-Québec, has announced its intention to leverage renewable energy sources to supply 80% of Québec’s off-grid systems by 2030. The utility’s commitment to advancing clean energy solutions includes the HydroQuébec Research Institute, employing more than 400 dedicated researchers who have developed more than 850 patents to date.

Spreading the good word

To promote Québec’s energy ecosystem and unparalleled expertise, the Bureau du Québec dans les provinces atlantiques (Québec Office in the Atlantic Provinces) has been fostering collaboration between Québec experts in the energy field and partners in the Atlantic provinces. The Office facilitates meetings around a wide array of renewable energy topics.

“We have seen the emergence of new hydrogen projects and partnerships in recent years, including construction of a 20-megawatt water electrolysis hydrogen production plant, which is the world’s largest Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyser unit,” notes MaudAndrée Lefebvre, Chief of Mission, Québec Office, Atlantic Provinces. “As part of Québec’s 2030 Plan for a Green Economy, it is our intention to position the province as a leader in green hydrogen.”

With bold targets set for the years ahead and an insufficient supply of renewable energy sources, the Nova Scotia government has emphasized its support for independent power producers who engage in renewable energy projects. That support opens the door to collaborations with Québec’s energy ecosystem and an alignment of like-minded forces in the fight against climate change.

Learn more at: sqrc.gouv.qc.ca