Higgs says New Brunswick LNG facility could help Europe cut energy ties with Russia
New Brunswick's premier says a liquefied natural gas facility in Saint John could be modified to reverse the flow and help reduce Europe's reliance on fossil fuels from Russia.
Blaine Higgs told reporters Wednesday that the Saint John LNG plant, which currently imports liquefied natural gas from the United States, could be retrofitted to export gas in about three years.
Higgs said governments need to look for energy solutions so that the economy isn't at the mercy of Russia.
"What is the reality today that we can actually move on today and actually have solutions today and we won't be held ransom by Russia? Because that's what our economy is being held to," Higgs said in Nova Scotia after a meeting with the other Atlantic premiers. "It's what Ukraine is facing. That's what we're facing in the world. We shouldn't have this exposure right now."
Higgs said the owner of the Saint John plant, the Spanish firm Repsol, has had meetings with the federal government on turning it into an export facility.
Saint John LNG spokesman Michael Blackier said Repsol is always looking to maximize the value of the terminal, but he would not comment specifically on Higgs's proposal.
In a statement Wednesday, Blackier said the company will look at any business "that enhances or creates value at Saint John LNG, including the potential to add liquefaction capabilities to the existing facility."
Higgs said the Atlantic provinces are also looking at the potential of liquefied hydrogen down the road, and the Saint John facility could easily be converted to liquefied hydrogen for export as well.
As for natural gas, "we are already connected with supply from the U.S. but it wouldn't necessarily be an adequate supply for the size the plant needs to be," Higgs said.
The premier said he has had preliminary discussions with First Nations and with developers who have looked at the shale gas resources in his province.
New Brunswick has had a moratorium on shale gas projects for seven years, since a previous Liberal government legislated five conditions that must be met in order for the development to be allowed. The conditions include a plan for wastewater disposal and consultations with Indigenous communities.
Higgs said expanding the industry would mean more than just giving companies money to develop the resource. "It's a matter of giving them the runway and the policies to allow it to happen," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 29, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.