The communication lines remain open between the Province, BC Hydro and Fortescue regarding a green-hydrogen plant set to be built in Prince George.
A spokesperson from Premier David Eby’s office confirmed the news to Vista Radio today (Wednesday).
Back in November, Eby stated during a town hall session in the Lower Mainland the provincial government entered negotiations on the two-billion-dollar project.
The major hurdle is that it will require 1,000 mega-watts of clean electricity to run.
“We have to negotiate with Fortescue, we had to negotiate with E-One Moli (Maple Ridge) and we have to negotiate with many of the companies who are thinking about locating here in BC because the Inflation Reduction Act in the United States gives them opportunities to go south of the border instead of locating to BC. It’s necessary for us to do this work.” Eby said in a previous interview.
“The challenge for us is we want those jobs; we want this plant, and we are entering into discussions and negotiations with Fortescue and how do we seize this economic opportunity without making British Columbians pay higher rates on their hydro bills.”
In September, Australian multi-billionaire Dr. Andrew Forrest, who is Fortescue’s Non-Executive Chairman and primary shareholder gave a presentation on what the plant would bring to our city.
Once up and running, the plant will produce “approximately 140,000 tonnes per year of green hydrogen and approximately 800,000 tonnes per year of green ammonia,” making Project Coyote one of the largest hydrogen projects in the country.
Eby noted Prince George Mayor Simon Yu and the Lheidli T’enneh are on board with the project.
Fortescue signed a memorandum of understanding with the Lheidli T’enneh in 2021, they are not negotiating a fulsome Impact and Benefits Agreement.
In a brief summary, Forrest said during his stop in PG the plant will use electricity to “split water into oxygen and hydrogen,” then take the hydrogen and “sell it as a proper industrial product” or mix it with Nitrogen from the air to create ammonia.
The plant is estimated to bring over 100 permanent jobs to Prince George.
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