As Atlantic Canadians, we feel a deep connection to the ocean and waterways that surround us. Searching for sea glass, ice fishing, and boating are seasonal pastimes in maritime communities. And we aren’t strangers to working in fisheries, in aquaculture, or in the offshore petroleum sector. We experience the strength of the Atlantic Ocean as we play and work near our shores. And now, others are noticing an untapped potential in our ocean’s power.
On the other side of the Atlantic, European countries have been harnessing the power of the ocean with offshore floating and fixed windmills for several decades. And now that the world needs new and more sources of energy, Atlantic Canada is on the radar. It is widely recognized that wind can help achieve our climate goals by generating electricity to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels for power generation, and to produce renewable fuels for heating and transport.
As a leading early-stage developer of floating offshore wind energy, Simply Blue Group recently opened offices in Nova Scotia to explore opportunities. Simply Blue Group, headquartered in Cork, Ireland, is not only experienced in developing floating offshore wind, they have also been exploring options to harness its power to produce e-fuels such as hydrogen. The company is actively working on developing renewable energy parks to integrate offshore wind farms with onshore e-fuel production facilities and the electricity grid.
Michael Galvin, Director of Hydrogen and Sustainable Fuels at Simply Blue Group said: “The scale of the wind resources and opportunities in Atlantic Canada is immense, while the need for renewable energy has never been so urgent and so great, but opportunities come to pass – not to pause. The time for action is now. Simply Blue Group are really excited about the development opportunities in Atlantic Canada, especially the potential for integration of large-scale wind energy with renewable fuel production”.
Discussion on International Best Practices
Europe has been developing its renewables and offshore industry for much longer than Canada. There are some key learnings that Atlantic Canada can apply as we work to develop the sector. The Atlantica Centre for Energy is pleased to host Michael Galvin as a keynote speaker at the upcoming Smart Energy Event in Halifax on April 17.
“I’m pleased to bring our perspective and discuss some fundamental principles for a smooth transition to clean energy in Atlantic Canada,” Galvin.
Galvin has more than 17 years experience working in the energy industry in Europe. He is leading Simply Blue Group’s environmentally friendly fuel production facilities and energy parks of the future.
Simply Blue Group has connections to Atlantic Canada’s very own Irving Oil Ltd. Both companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a commitment to explore opportunities related to the potential development of an integrated renewable energy park at the Irving Oil Whitegate Refinery in Cork, Ireland.
Tickets are still available to attend the Atlantica Centre for Energy breakfast on April 17 in Halifax at the 2023 Smart Energy Event.
Michael Gavin, Director of Hydrogen and Sustainable Fuels