By Canadian Press

New Brunswick looks to hydrogen from seawater as fuel for future power

Feb 26, 2019 | 1:05 PM

FREDERICTON — New Brunswick’s Crown-owned power utility is partnering with a Florida-based company to develop power plants that would use hydrogen extracted from seawater as their fuel.

NB Power signed a licence agreement with Joi Scientific three years ago, but have now agreed to work together to build a number of prototypes that would eventually be used in the province.

Traver Kennedy, CEO of Joi Scientific, says his company has developed a new way to extract hydrogen from unprocessed seawater.

He says when used as a fuel to generate power, the only emissions are water vapour.

Federal force

Saskatchewan RCMP facing 14.6 per cent vacancy rate amid national staffing shortages

9h ago

Provincial Politics

NDP calls out government over highway budget cuts

11h ago

Drug bust

Meth and other contraband seized at Sask. Pen.

11h ago

NB Power president Gaetan Thomas says it could be two or three years before they would have small prototypes ready, and the cost would be about the same as a natural gas-fired plant.

The costs of the technology and the licence agreement are being kept confidential.

Thomas says the utility is looking at all its options, but it might make more sense to have numerous small facilities around the province rather that a large generator, in order to avoid transmission loss.

The Canadian Press