Every day is Earth Day
for the Port of Belledune
April 21, 2023 • Andrea Frascione Director, Marketing and Communications
Living in this part of the world,
we can’t help but feel mother nature all around us. For some of us, walking out the front door each day means gazing at an unfettered view to the sea and the mountainous landscape beyond. For others, our routine consists of a walk through a tall forest of conifers whose canopy envelops us in cool, dewy air – the sweet scent of spruce and pine lingering in the morning mist.
These are the daily experiences New Brunswickers cherish and the Port of Belledune aims to preserve as it ushers in a new era of green energy production: for our children, for Canada, for the future of our planet.
Our commitment
In 2022, the Port of Belledune signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with the Ports of Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven, Germany for the import of hydrogen from New Brunswick, specifically the Port’s Green Energy Hub. This is the first in what will likely be a growing trend with European countries as they seek to untether themselves from Russia to fulfill their energy needs, sustainably. As a zero-emitting, reliable source of power, clean hydrogen production is the way of the future and the Port has the unique opportunity to be at the forefront of generating and exporting this technology in Canada.
With the decommissioning of the smelter on the Port’s grounds slated to begin in June this year, our province’s fraught history of investing in carbon-heavy industry and reliance on non-renewable resources is steadily being replaced by a clean power strategy. Infrastructure at the Belledune site is set to be built and/or repurposed as early as 2024 and commissioned by 2027. With the only remaining coal-fired generating station left in the province, the Port is committed to working with NB Power to phase it out in favour of something new that is aligned with the Government of Canada’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035: hydrogen by way of heat generated through the addition of an advanced Small Nuclear Reactor.
“The Trudeau government’s 2023 federal budget is backing nuclear power in a big way, unleashing a new $80-billion arsenal of tax changes that also offer incentives for hydropower, critical minerals, hydrogen, carbon capture and renewables.” – The Narwhal
Our community
In 2018, the Port of Belledune entered into a historic agreement with First Nations communities, Pabineau, Eel River Bar and Mi’gmawe’l Tplu’taqnn Inc. (MTI) – the organization representing all Mi’gmaq First Nations in the province. The first of its kind in Canada, the Relationship, Engagement and Consultation Protocol ensures a meaningful and ongoing mutual transparency and respect among all parties regarding matters concerning Port activities, adjacent unceded and Crown lands, and the surrounding environment. As equal and contributing joint owners of the Protocol, this initiative supports Section 35 (Aboriginal and Treaty Rights) of the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDIP) and upholds the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call-to-Action 92 which addresses industry, the business community and providing First Nations people with equitable access to jobs and education.
In addition to this measure, the Port of Belledune strictly adheres to environmental management systems, is subject to the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, and undergoes annual certification by Green Marine, an organization that empowers its members to improve their environmental performance, meeting and often exceeding, regulated standards for air, water and soil quality as well as community relations.
Learn more
Caring for our environment can start with the individual: composting, recycling and reducing our carbon footprint by making greener choices; but it can also stem from local and regional businesses and Federal Government authorities who have the budget, the backing and the breadth of experience to make waves in industry.
So, this Earth Day, the Port of Belledune invites you to have a look at our website and learn more about the green initiatives taking place right in our own backyard! You might be surprised by how forward-thinking and innovative our collective approach can be when communities, businesses and government work together, and we allow ourselves to think big.