The mayor of Stephenville remains optimistic about economic activity in the region as World Energy GH2 is reportedly planning to switch gears as it relates to a massive wind energy project.
As first reported by AllNewfoundlandLabrador, the company believes the international market is lagging behind where they thought it would be, leading them to explore options for a “renewable energy campus.”
In a statement, the company says there are “multiple investors and offtakers interested in co-locating industries at (their) site.”
Those industries would include data centres, green steel manufacturing, and e-fuel production.
They say they are a renewable energy producer, and they will build green hydrogen that can power multiple industries, and they will adapt to meet market demands.
Via Mayor Tom Rose on Facebook.
Mayor Tom Rose says a lot has been happening in Stephenville since the German Chancellor was in town to sign an agreement with the Prime Minister. He says there are a lot of eyes on the town, and their wind corridor is going to drive a lot of opportunities.
Even with the change in plans, Rose remains confident that there will be lots of interest in jobs.
He says workers will be needed to build the hydrogen plant and wind farms, and work there on a permanent basis. On the prospect of a data center, Rose says “if you can have 400 people working in a data center in the sweltering heat of the Sahara Desert, its going to be a long reach to get them to come to a beautiful place like western Newfoundland.
Energy Minister Andrew Parsons says he has had no conversations about the situation, and all he knows about it is from the AllNewfoundlandLabrador article.
Parsons says he is looking at the situation “with interest,” but at this point until there is something “real” in front of him, it is “just a conversation.”
