German power utilities E.ON and Uniper said Tuesday they will build a transatlantic hydrogen bridge between Canada and Europe, through a deal with EverWind, Kallanish reports.

The Canadian green hydrogen and ammonia developer has inked two offtake MOUs with the German companies, each for the supply of up to 500,000 tonnes/year of green ammonia. First deliveries from EverWind’s Point Tupper facility in Nova Scotia to Germany are planned for 2025.

The deal came ahead of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s planned visit to Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other officials. They will later on 23 August sign a joint declaration of intent to establish a Canada-Germany Hydrogen Alliance.

“Today is the start of the transatlantic hydrogen bridge. This way, we can bring the energy of the Canadian wind to Germany by ship,” says Patrick Lammers, chief operation officer Costumer Solutions at E.ON SE. “We are not just decarbonising and diversifying our energy supply. We will create more energy security by cooperation between societies which share the same values and stand for democracy, the rule of law and a social market economy. This step is more urgent than ever.”

The green ammonia will be cracked back into hydrogen and meet demand from German small- and medium-sized businesses, E.ON says, pointing they account for the largest share of the country’s economic output and employ about 60% of all workers.

Uniper says the partnership with EverWind supports its ambitions to become a go-to partner for decarbonisation solutions.

“The green ammonia provided to Uniper will facilitate decarbonisation across Germany and other European countries while reducing Germany’s dependence on fossil fuel-based products from Russia,” it emphasizes.

The companies are yet to finalise their offtake agreements.

The Point Tupper facility will be located on a site in Port Hawkesbury. It will produce green hydrogen and convert it into green ammonia using a mix of certified green power from the Nova Scotia grid and onshore wind power initially. Further phases will be powered by offshore wind, enabling potential production of over 10 million t/y of green ammonia. Commercial production is slated for 2025.