SK ecoplant to build wind farms in Canada

Four locations on the Newfoundland in eastern Canada in which Canada's green hydrogen Nujio'qonik project received approval to use the state-owned land to build wind farms. [SK ECOPLANT]

SK ecoplant has received the green light to utilize 1,078-square-kilometers (669-square-miles) of state-owned land to build wind farms in Canada, as part of Canada’s green hydrogen project which the company is also participating in as a stakeholder.

A total of 24 projects participated in the bid to acquire the land located on the Newfoundland in eastern Canada. Only four projects passed the final evaluation on Thursday, according to SK ecoplant on Sunday.

As state-owned land, Newfoundland leases parts of its land to green hydrogen and wind power projects to create new jobs and vitalize the regional economy.

The $4.5-billion project, named “Nujio’qonik,” is led by Canadian developer World Energy GH2.

SK ecoplant secured exclusive engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) rights worth $1.5 billion for the project in May. The company also invested $50 million, thus acquiring a 20 percent stake in the project.

With the approval, the Nujio’quonik project secured all wind power sites for its upcoming three-stage expansion. Under the phase 1 development plan, the project aims to build an onshore wind power plant on Newfoundland.

The potential wind power generation capacity for the project is worth 4 gigawatts.

“As a key player in this cross-continental green hydrogen project, we are fully dedicated to pioneering the global hydrogen ecosystem at an accelerated pace,” said SK ecoplant CEO Park Kyung-il. “As a leading contributor to the commercialization of green hydrogen by 2025, we are resolute in ensuring the smooth progress of the Nujio’qonik project.”

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]