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Update on Bids Received for Wind-Hydrogen Development

By March 24, 2023 3   min read  (414 words)

March 24, 2023 |

Fuel Cells Works, Update on Bids Received for Wind-Hydrogen Development

The Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, today provided an update on bids received from its call for bids for Crown land for wind-hydrogen development. Bids were due by noon on March 23, 2023.

The department has received bids from 19 companies. A Phase One review will be conducted on complete bids on criteria such as the bidder’s experience, the project, and their financial capacity to plan, construct, and operate the proposed project. Those companies passing Phase One review will proceed to the next phase beginning May 2023.

To ensure a fair, transparent, and competitive approval process, the document, “Guidelines: Crown Land Calls for Bids for Wind Energy Projects” was developed to outline the information that would be required of bidders, and how bids would be evaluated. In addition, following a Request for Quotation for the Fairness Advisor, which closed on February 6, 2023, Optimus SBR Inc. has been appointed to the role to assist in the evaluation of the Crown Land Call for Bids. The Fairness Advisor will be a neutral party throughout the Call for Bids process, and will support the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology by providing independent, arm’s-length oversight and evaluation expertise.

Successful bidders will be granted an exclusive right to pursue the development of their project through the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Crown land application and approval process. These lands will be held in reserve until that process is completed.

Environmental Assessment registration is not required during the call for land bids phase; however, prior to final award of Crown land, an environmental assessment will be required for wind projects over one megawatt.

The Provincial Government launched the Renewable Energy Plan in December 2021. One of the short-term commitments in the plan was to review the wind moratorium policy on the Island Interconnected Electricity System. Lifting this moratorium was the initial step in this multi-stage process to enable wind energy development in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Read the most up to date Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Industry news at FuelCellsWorks

“We are pleased with the continued interest in wind-hydrogen development as demonstrated by the number of bids received. My department will now move to the next phase of our transparent review process, and will review all bids to determine which move on to the next phase. We will continue to update the public on this process and are optimistic about the future of wind-hydrogen development in our province.” Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC – Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology.

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