The momentum behind using clean hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels is gathering. But if countries are going to use clean hydrogen as a long-term solution to rising energy demands, providers need to be confident they can access global markets more easily, from both a logistics and red-tape point of view.
EverWind Fuels is one of North America’s leading independent green hydrogen developers, using global renewable energy resources to create sustainable energy solutions with green hydrogen and green ammonia. In 2022, EverWind began an ambitious construction project on the East Coast of Canada consisting of a green ammonia production site and wind farms. This initiative was a much-needed example of the commercial viability of innovative solutions to the energy transition.
Overcoming legislation and logistics challenges
EverWind’s ambitious plans to access international markets, particularly within the European Union, made it vital to understand their options for export routes as early as possible. They also had to align their product with the EU’s Renewable Fuel of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) legislation by measuring carbon life cycle emissions across their entire production facility and transportation network. This would include gaining a granular understanding of the many unpredictable variants associated with the shipping section of their supply chain.
Mobilizing a global team to assess EverWind’s green hydrogen solution
EverWind partnered with independent third-party ERM to prove, through a series of detailed calculations and studies, the numbers added up.
Central to this partnership was a business case demonstrating that EverWind’s green hydrogen solution met the strict requirements for eligibility as a Renewable Fuel of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) including proof of a maximum GHG emission intensity of 70% below a fossil-fuel comparator. This involved pulling in expertise from ERM's network across the globe to understand the analysis required and frame a methodology for generating a solution.
ERM’s Red II specialists in London examined the nuances and specific needs of EU RFNBO legislation and translated these into workflows and definitions to underpin the emissions calculation process. Deep numerical analysis considered every component of EverWind’s production value chain, including source electricity from the wind farm, the possibilities of additional power from the Nova Scotian Grid, the energy required to offload the green ammonia from the onshore plant onto green ammonia tankers, and any other emissions created in the process.
To assess the notoriously complex shipping piece of the puzzle, ERM’s shipping experts examined export route options within Europe and modeled various sizes of tankers and engines, and efficiencies of engines under various ship-laden scenarios.
We are pleased to have worked with ERM to calculate and verify the emissions reductions of over 95% from our green ammonia production project compared to fossil-fuel models. It is essential for us to use detailed third-party, standardized calculations to support our development; with their expertise in detailed GHG modelling, the ERM team were able to capture all aspects of our complex Phase I project in Nova Scotia.
A transformative impact demonstrating innovation
ERM developed a custom model for EverWind that demonstrated compliance with RFNBO regulations and identified the carbon margin relative to the compliance threshold. The tool included a bottom-up calculation of emissions from shipping of various distances, speeds and fuels with a demonstrable outcome that shipping emissions have a minimal impact on overall lifecycle emissions. It was found that even including shipping, emissions reductions compared to fossil-fuel models were more than 95%. With approximately 2 tonnes of carbon produced by an average tonne of fossil-fuel based ammonia, the emission reductions are substantial.
Clarifying the lifecycle emissions has removed a significant potential commercial barrier to EverWind and has enabled them to move their project forward with confidence.
More broadly, the EverWind project demonstrates that meeting the world’s ambitious energy transition targets requires agile, innovative solutions, backed by hard data. As clean-energy technology continues to evolve, ERM is well-equipped to support clients who are serious about transforming the world of green energy.
