Simply Blue Group to develop SAF hub in Nova Scotia

Irish offshore wind project developer Simply Blue Group announced plans to transform the former Goldboro Liquified Natural Gas Project site into a major sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) hub.

“We are very excited to be developing the Goldboro site into a renewable energy park. The SAF that we will produce there will play an essential part in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and combating climate change,” said Hugh Kelly, CEO & co-founder, Simply Blue Group. 

The company has secured approximately 755 acres of contiguous land in Goldboro, including 266 acres previously owned by Pieridae and 489 acres owned by the Municipality of the District of Guysborough. The Renewable Energy Park (REP) will utilise renewable electricity generated from Simply Blue Group’s solar and wind farms in the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s, connected by a dedicated transmission line.

This renewable energy, combined with Nova Scotia’s sustainable biomass and water resources, will be used to produce approximately 150,000 tonnes of SAF per year.  

Michael Galvin, Chief Operating Officer of Hydrogen and Sustainable Fuels, emphasised the significance of the project and the extensive due diligence and engineering that has gone into it. He also announced a supply agreement with Wagner Forest NS Ltd. to source 700,000 tonnes of green biomass per annum.

Canada currently consumes approximately 6.5m tonnes of jet fuel per year, resulting in approximately 20m tonnes per year of CO2 emissions.

Earlier in March, Simply Blue Group announced plans to develop onshore renewable energy parks to power facilities capable of producing SAF in Ireland, Australia and Canada to process more than 1.5m tonnes of sustainable biomass annually to produce over 300,000 tonnes of SAF each year.

The company said its sustainable fuels will be produced in onshore Renewable Energy Parks (REPs) focusing on renewable liquid fuels for aviation, marine vessels and chemical feedstocks.