Japan is actively in search of elevated provides of power, together with liquefied pure gasoline, from pleasant nations
Article content material
Alberta’s power minister will not be abroad this month on a deliberate journey to Germany, however he needs the province to be included in a federal commerce mission to Japan later this 12 months to showcase the potential of Canadian LNG and hydrogen.
Commercial 2
Article content material
Power Minister Peter Guthrie despatched a letter to federal Pure Assets Minister Jonathan Wilkinson on Monday asking for the province to be included in an upcoming ministerial commerce mission to Japan. The journey was introduced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau final week throughout a go to to Canada by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Article content material
Japan is actively in search of elevated provides of power, together with liquefied pure gasoline (LNG), from pleasant nations because it shifts away from imports from Russia following that nation’s invasion of Ukraine.
“It’s my view that strengthening power relations with Japan is of the utmost significance,” Guthrie wrote within the letter.
“Since provinces are the house owners and stewards of their pure sources, any discussions concerning the potential export of power should absolutely contain the provinces involved.”
Commercial 3
Article content material
Alberta and the Trudeau authorities have clashed on many power fronts over the previous 12 months, most not too long ago over the federal emissions cap on the oil and gasoline sector, and the incoming federal “Simply Transition” laws to assist oil and gasoline employees transfer to different industries. transfer.
The UCP authorities additionally blasted Ottawa’s lukewarm response to the numerous tightening of Canadian oil and gasoline manufacturing to shift Russian provides to Europe.
-
Being a dependable provider of power is necessary, Trudeau says, as Japan seems to Canada for LNG
-
Memo to Trudeau: There may be greater than a enterprise case for exporting power to Japan
-
LNG Canada, nation’s $40 billion ‘second likelihood’ to grow to be international LNG chief takes form
-
Varcoe: It is time Ottawa stopped arguing about supporting a bigger Canadian LNG trade
This was underlined by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s feedback in August – made throughout a information convention with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz – that there was “by no means a powerful enterprise case” for exporting LNG to Europe from services on Canada’s Atlantic coast.
Commercial 4
Article content material
Premier Danielle Smith and Guthrie had deliberate a visit to Germany this month to speak about power points, though that has been postponed till February, the power minister stated in an interview.
In the present day, provincial consideration is concentrated on federal assist for enhancing power exports to Japan, one of many largest importers of liquefied pure gasoline on the earth, and on rising Alberta’s hydrogen trade.
Final week, Kishida informed reporters that Canada is a rustic with an abundance of power sources. Alberta and British Columbia have large pure gasoline reserves, and two LNG export services are underway on the Pacific coast.
“The world has an power disaster . . . For big nations, every is attempting to have a steady power provide and in addition to decarbonize,” he stated by way of a translator final week.
Commercial 5
Article content material
Nonetheless, Trudeau’s response didn’t encourage a lot confidence, a minimum of from the provincial authorities’s perspective.
When requested about commitments made to Japan on LNG exports and the easing of regulatory hurdles for a proposed second section of the huge LNG Canada undertaking, the prime minister stated the 2 sides talked about how Canada could be a dependable is usually a provider, not solely of power, however of crucial minerals and different commodities.
“We’ll proceed to search for methods to be that dependable provider of power,” he stated. “However at the same time as we speak about issues like LNG and different conventional sources of power, we all know that the world is transferring aggressively and considerably towards decarbonization, towards diversification, towards extra renewable power.”
Commercial 6
Article content material
Trudeau additionally introduced a Group Canada-style commerce mission will happen in October, centered on the areas of power, meals, crucial minerals and superior know-how.
Guthrie stated he was not happy with Trudeau’s response and felt it was obligatory for Alberta to hitch the journey to Japan.
“We should not be shocked when Japan involves us in search of pure gasoline,” he stated.
“I want to hear him say: ‘Sure, we’re prepared to assist. You’re in search of LNG. We will be concerned in it. We will velocity up the regulatory course of. We might help get LNG from the West Coast in your provide — and Canada needs to be your provider of LNG.’ “
Nonetheless, Guthrie famous that he had a “very encouraging” dialog with Wilkinson final week and believes the 2 events can work collectively.
Commercial 7
Article content material
Wilkinson was in Japan on Monday on a visit that included indigenous leaders and a number of other company executives, together with officers from Shell Canada and Enbridge, two firms concerned in LNG developments in B.C.
The LNG Canada undertaking is led by Shell and is anticipated to be operational by the center of this decade, whereas the smaller Woodfibre LNG facility – operated by Singapore’s Pacific Power Corp. and Enbridge owned – additionally proceed.
Ian Cameron, Wilkinson’s director of communications, stated the federal authorities was working with the non-public sector and worldwide companions as nations sought to cut back their dependence on Russian power.
Any future LNG initiatives in Canada should guarantee they match inside the nation’s emissions discount targets, and so they should show that any associated exports will displace higher-emitting sources of power akin to coal, he stated in an announcement.
Commercial 8
Article content material
LNG professional Geoffrey Cann, a principal at MadCann Alberta, famous that almost two dozen LNG initiatives have been proposed for the BC coast final decade, proving there’s a enterprise case for Canada to deliver supercooled pure gasoline to rising markets in Asia , together with Japan, to ship.
Nonetheless, the prime minister’s feedback final week look like extra rooted in Canada’s local weather technique than within the power wants of different nations, he added.
“We’re complicated a home agenda to decarbonize the Canadian economic system with a global export agenda,” Cann stated.
“The entire thing is simply riddled with weird hypocrisy, conflicts, contradictions, and it simply would not make any sense.”
Chris Varcoe is a Calgary Herald columnist.
cvarcoe@postmedia.com
