The ‘New Geohonic’ project, a groundbreaking initiative for intercontinental commercial green hydrogen production in Canada, has received crucial approval. SK Ecoplant, a key player in the project, announced this milestone, marking a substantial leap forward for the 20 trillion won project.

Canada World Energy GH2, the organizer of the New Geohonic project, revealed last month that it had secured approval from the Canadian provincial government to utilize state land for wind power generation. This approval represents a pivotal moment for the project, which aims to harness wind power to produce green hydrogen, convert it into green ammonia, and transport it to regions like Europe.

The name ‘New Geohonic,’ derived from an Aboriginal word signifying a place where sand winds blow, aptly captures the essence of this ambitious endeavor.

Canada’s commitment to supporting wind power and green hydrogen production projects on Newfoundland, a wind-rich island, underscores the nation’s dedication to job creation and economic growth. The fierce competition during the bidding for wind farm sites saw 24 projects vying for approval. Ultimately, only four projects, including New Geohonic, emerged successfully. The total land area allocated for this project covers 4.1077 square kilometers, equivalent to 91.605 times the size of Seoul.

With this approval, the New Geohonic project has secured ample wind land to support its three phases of expansion, with a total installed capacity of 3GW, equivalent to the output of several nuclear power plants. Earlier this year, SK Ecoplant completed the acquisition of the crucial Stephen Dill port, a key asset for green hydrogen and green ammonia production, as well as intercontinental transportation.

SK ecoplant’s involvement in the first phase of the New Geohonic project includes supplying and installing water electrolyzers for green hydrogen production, as well as the project’s basic design (FEED). The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the plant for converting green hydrogen into green ammonia will be handled in collaboration with SK Ecoengineering, a subsidiary of SK Ecoplant.

Each phase of the project will see the construction of 1 MW facilities, incorporating approximately 600GW of onshore wind power generation for electricity production and advanced water electrolyzers for green hydrogen production. Once all three phases are operational, the project is poised to produce around 3.18 million tons of green hydrogen and approximately 108.2025 million tons of green ammonia annually. Production targets are set for 2026 for green hydrogen and subsequently for green ammonia.

Bloom Energy’s Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cells (SOEC), utilized in this project, employ high-temperature water vapor at 850 degrees Celsius for water electrolysis. This innovative approach significantly reduces electrical energy consumption, leading to higher hydrogen production efficiency. Impressively, a 500-hour demonstration conducted by the Idaho National Laboratory under the U.S. Department of Energy produced a world record of 37 kg of hydrogen with just 7.1 kWh of electricity.

World Energy GH?, the driving force behind this project, recently submitted comprehensive environmental impact assessment (EIS) documents to the Newfoundland government. This marks a pivotal step, potentially accelerating the project on a global scale.

SK Ecoplant’s President, Park Kyung-il, stated, “As we have played a key role in green hydrogen projects across continents, we will do our best as a pioneer in the early realization of the global hydrogen ecosystem.”