The company TES Canada is investing $4 billion to build a hydrogen production plant in Shawinigan, Mauricie, an important fuel for the energy transition.
“This is the first green hydrogen project in the country,” indicated Federal Minister François-Philippe Champagne during the press conference Friday morning in Shawinigan, accompanied by the Minister of the Economy, Innovation and of Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon.
The construction of the facilities is expected to create 1,000 jobs and, subsequently, operation will require the hiring of 200 workers. The plant is expected to begin operations in 2028.
TES Canada’s “Mauricie project” will produce “green” hydrogen: this is how the fuel is called when it is produced from renewable energy sources. This plant will be powered both by hydroelectricity, but also by wind and solar farms.
Ultimately, the project will produce 70,000 tonnes of hydrogen for the use of Quebecers.
However, it takes a lot of electricity to produce it through an electrolysis process.
“Great potential for GHG reduction”
Hydrogen is a highly flammable gas intended to replace polluting fossil fuels, with a view to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating the transition to a carbon-neutral economy.
Thus, the TES Canada plant should help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 800,000 tonnes in Quebec by 2030, according to the promoter’s statements.
It can be used in the field of heavy transport (trucking, train), but also in sectors where it is currently difficult to reduce GHG emissions, such as cement plants or aluminum smelters, explained Professor Bruno Pollet, from the UQTR, during a technical briefing session this week.
Hydrogen thus represents “great potential for reducing GHGs”, according to his explanations.