Wind energy developer says Port au Port proposal is just the start

A developer who wants to build wind turbines in western Newfoundland says he will need all three of his proposed sites in order to make the project feasible — one of which is a sensitive wildlife area.

The proposal is eyeing areas in Bay St. George South, as well as the Lewis Hills and Blow Me Down Mountains, an area which is a former Crown land reserve and the location of a proposed UNESCO site.

For the time being, World Energy GH2 has submitted a plan to the Department of Environment and Climate Change to build 164 two-hundred metre turbines on the Port au Port Peninsula in the first phase of the project.

But company director John Risley said the success of the project, which would use wind energy to power a proposed hydrogen and ammonia plant in Stephenville, depends on having wind turbines in all three areas.

"We will definitely want to develop the other two sites. The economies of scale will require that. And the feasibility work that we've done has been focused on the entire project, not just the first phase," said Risley.

Risley said the original idea had been to submit all three proposed sites together for approval through the environmental assessment process.

But Risley said the province asked the company to take things one step at a time.

"The province asked us to do this in phases," said Risley. 

The World Energy GH2 proposal is expected to create hundreds of jobs during the construction phase as well as long-term employment, for which Risley said training will be provided free of charge to nearby residents.

"We have told local people that all local applicants that apply for these jobs will qualify for an education program at our expense. We will pay for people to be trained for these jobs," said Risley.

CBC asked the Department of Environment and Climate Change why World Energy GH2 was asked to submit its project in phases, but the department declined to answer, saying that:  "As the environmental assessment process is currently ongoing for this project, it would be inappropriate for the Minister to comment on specifics about the project at this time."

The deadline for public comment about the plan for turbines on the Port au Port Peninsula is July 27, with a decision expected from Minister Bernard Davis by Aug. 5.

The phased approach means that the focus right now is on receiving input from people on the Port au Port Peninsula.

But the International Appalachian Trail Association (IATNL) is watching closely to see how things unfold, as it has concerns about wind turbines being located in the Lewis Hills, where an effort is underway to establish a UNESCO Global Geopark.