Carbon neutrality of electricity production in 2050: more flexibility for NB

Canada is pushing back its goal of not emitting greenhouse gases during electricity production by 15 years. In New Brunswick, which remains very dependent on coal and natural gas, this could give flexibility to NB Power, for which difficulties will accumulate in the coming years.

The old target was set at 2035, the new one is now set at 2050.

Currently, New Brunswick is still dependent on fossil fuels. A little more than a third of the electricity produced comes from these sources. In total, 14% of the electricity produced in the province comes from natural gas and 13% comes from coal.

From 2035, the Belledune factories, Coleson Cove et Baysidewhich are among the province’s major emitters of greenhouse gases, should have been closed or converted to renewable energy sources.

With this step back from Ottawa, NB Power will be less pressed for time to complete this transition. Especially since the Crown corporation is facing significant difficulties which are only piling up.

Its infrastructure such as the Mactaquac hydroelectric dam and the Point Lepreau nuclear power plant are aging and require work, its debt is more than $5 billion. In addition to decarbonizing its electricity network, NB Power must also increase its production to meet growing demand.

For the scientific director of the Trottier Institute at Polytechnique Montréal, the repeated shutdowns of the Point Lepreau power station, which produces nearly 40% of the electricity produced in the province, lead to lots of uncertainties.

In New Brunswick, we need to quickly take stock, then identify how we are moving forward.

According to him, Ottawa’s step back should allow the provinces to plan how we achieve zero carbon emissions when we produce electricity in 2050.

There, we opened the window to test it. There, it is up to the provinces to carry out real evaluations on a scale, because we have a problem in Canada, which is that our provinces are very reluctant to test technologies, test approaches.

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Natural gas for the transition

NB Power plans to build a new natural gas power station in Scoudouc which should be completed by 2028.

For Normand Mousseau, he thinks that natural gas can be a transition solution between 2035 and 2050 but not an end in itself. He fears that some provinces will see it as a lifeline.

The solution is not to say that we are only going to build gas power plants, the majority of supply will have to be renewable energyhe recalls.

For its part, NB Power says it is examining the effects of this change, without commenting further for the moment.

Also tackle big polluters

Jean-Philippe Sapinski, professor of environmental studies at the University of Moncton, is however not surprised by Ottawa’s decline. It’s a shame because we had a relatively ambitious target.

Beyond the carbon neutrality of electricity production, he thinks that we must tackle reductions in emissions in other sectors, such as the oil sector or in the transport of goods, two of the most polluting sectors which Together they represent almost half of the province’s greenhouse gas emissions.

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An opinion shared by the leader of the Green Party, David Coon.

As for the Minister responsible for Energy René Legacy, he says he wants to continue working with Ottawa while ensuring that the electricity network is reliable and affordable.

According to a report by Frédéric Cammarano