The wind and solar farm, with a capacity of up to 1GW, will be part of a C$4-billion (US$2.9bn) project developed by Montréal-based TES Canada H2, a unit of Tree Energy Solutions. The electrolysers will have a capacity of 500MW.
The breakdown of solar and wind energy is not yet available, said a spokesperson. The project will have 150MW of renewable baseload energy supplied by Hydro-Quebec, the local electricity supplier.
Projet Mauricie, is to be located in the Vallée de la Transition Énergétique, which the Quebec government has located in the Bécancour, Trois-Rivières and Shawinigan regions of the state.
It will be built without subsidies from Canada’s federal governments, or Québec’s state government, the spokesperson added.
Transport and hard-to-abate
Around one-third of the green hydrogen produced will be used for decarbonising long-haul transportation, which accounts for nearly 10% of Québec's annual emissions, said TES Canada.
The remaining volumes will be used to produce ‘electric renewable natural gas’ (e-NG), also known as synthetic methane, which TES Canada describes as a sustainable drop-in solution that will be used for hard-to-abate industries.
The e-NG will be made from combining green hydrogen with biogenic CO2 through the Sabatier Process and is net zero, said the spokeswoman. The process will capture biogenic CO2 from surrounding sources, she said.
TES Canada’s project will contribute to achieving 3% of Québec's greenhouse gas reduction targets by 2030, the company said.
“Clean energy represents a generational economic opportunity. This project in the Mauricie region will create hundreds of sustainable jobs while providing affordable, reliable and clean energy to the Québec power grid, as well as to the industry and transportation sectors,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, federal minister of energy and natural resources.
“Projects like this one help to fight climate change and create a prosperous future,” he added.
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