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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.