Bundescancer Olaf Scholz (SPD) has expressed the hope that Germany will receive liquefied gas from Canada. Since Germany is freeing itself from dependence on Russian energy at great speed, Canada is now the “partner of choice,” said Scholz on Tuesday in Toronto at a German-Canadian business forum in Toronto. For the moment, the new situation means that imports of liquid gas to Germany have to be increased. “We hope that Canadian LNG will play an important role in this.”
Scholz was a little more optimistic on this issue than Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He had said the day before that they wanted to check whether it was possible to export Canadian liquefied gas, after all they wanted to help Germany in its current situation. But it must also be economically worthwhile. Canada is currently in the process of building its first LNG terminal, but this is being built on the west coast of the country, i.e. it is intended for export to Asian countries. In addition, gas would have to be transported long distances across Canada to get to the east coast.
Canada and Germany in the “global puzzle”
Scholz was convinced that Canada had the potential to become a “superpower for sustainable energy and sustainable resource production”. Germany is ready to become one of Canada’s closest partners. Scholz related this to the fight against climate change or the development of modern scientific methods and techniques, such as artificial intelligence. One could write “technology and scientific history”. In the “global puzzle” that is the multipolar world, “Canada and Germany are two perfectly matched pieces”.
Scholz’ efforts to intensify contact with Canada are taking place against the background of the Russian attack on Ukraine. The Chancellor’s concern is not only to find new partners for Germany’s energy supply, but also to import other raw materials as energy sources from Canada, which is rich in raw materials. This also played an important role in the three-day trip to Canada by the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor. But Scholz was also concerned with consolidating political proximity to Canada. “The external shocks we are experiencing only strengthen our determination to seek new partners and deepen old friendships,” said Scholz in his speech. “Like ours between Canada and Germany.”
“The right partners are here”
The Chancellor made it clear that joint efforts in the fight against climate change and in other fields would not fail because of financial hurdles. “So the possibilities are there, the political will is there, the right partners are there,” said Scholz, adding: “The necessary capital is also there.” He took this impression with him from his meeting on Monday with representatives of Canadian pension funds , said the Chancellor. They were “specifically” looking for investments in ecologically and socially sustainable projects. He also hears the same from German business leaders.
The main event on the third day of the Chancellor’s and Economy Minister’s trip was the signing of an agreement on cooperation in hydrogen production. Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and Canadian Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, as well as Scholz and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, traveled to the Canadian province of Newfoundland on Tuesday afternoon to sign a German-Canadian hydrogen agreement there.
Newfoundland is considered particularly suitable
From the Federal Government’s point of view, green hydrogen, i.e. hydrogen produced without fossil fuels, is an important key to a climate-neutral economy. The agreement is seen as a “milestone” in accelerating the so-called international market ramp-up of green hydrogen and paving the way for new transatlantic cooperation projects. The first deliveries from Canada to Germany are scheduled to take place as early as 2025. Canada and Germany have been working together intensively in the field of hydrogen for more than a year as part of a German-Canadian energy partnership. As part of the deal, Canada wants to boost the production of hydrogen, particularly from renewable electricity for export to Germany.
Newfoundland is considered a favorable location for the production of green hydrogen, which is generated using renewable energies. There is a lot of wind in the sparsely populated region and a lot of space to convert it into energy. No greenhouse gases are produced when using hydrogen. However, to produce it, water has to be split into hydrogen and oxygen, which requires a great deal of energy. This electrolysis is only climate-friendly if sustainably produced energy is used, for example electricity from the sun or wind.
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