WHITE PAPER ON ENERGY, MINING, AND ENVIRONMENT

WHITE PAPER ON ENERGY, MINING, AND ENVIRONMENT

Republic of Newfoundland — 2024 Edition

Issued by the Ministry of Energy & Resources and the Ministry of Environment & Climate
Presented to the House of Assembly, St. John’s — 1 October 2024
Filed independently under the National Policy Series of the Republic of Newfoundland.

Preface

Since the restoration of elected Dominion self-government in 1949 and the establishment of the Republic in 1972, Newfoundland has pursued the deliberate policy of sovereignty through stewardship.
Our natural resources—rivers, forests, minerals, and seas—have shaped not only our economy but our national identity.

“The measure of a nation is not how much it takes from the earth, but how faithfully it returns the gift.”
— Prime Minister Edward Fagan, National Energy Forum (2024)

1 · National Resource Strategy

1.1 Historical Perspective

The 1973 oil crisis marked the turning point for Newfoundland’s resource policy. No longer content to supply raw materials to others, successive governments invested in hydroelectric power, fisheries management, and domestic refining.
By the 1980s the Republic had founded PetroNewfoundland Ltd. and Hydro Newfoundland Corp., ensuring that the commanding heights of energy production were held in national hands.

1.2 From Extraction to Sovereignty

All resource sectors now operate under the National Resource Framework, guaranteeing Newfoundland ownership or controlling interest in every major energy or mining project. Export revenues flow through the Newfoundland Sovereign Fund, whose dividends finance education, research, and infrastructure.

1.3 The National Sustainability Framework

Adopted 2020, this cross-ministerial framework binds economic, environmental, and social priorities into one measurable system:

Economic Viability – long-term national benefit over short-term gain.
Environmental Integrity – restoration obligations equal to extraction rights.
Social Equity – citizens share returns through the Northern Share carbon dividend.

2 · Energy Independence

2.1 Hydroelectric Power

Hydroelectricity provides the Republic’s strategic energy independence. The Churchill Falls, Gull Island, and Lower Churchill complexes together generate 9.8 GW, making Newfoundland one of the largest per-capita hydro producers in the North Atlantic.
Key features:

100 % state ownership through Hydro Newfoundland Corp.
HVDC export links to Ireland and the UK since 2017.
Annual export revenue ≈ ₦ 2.8 billion NFD.
Continuous modernization (automated spillway control, fish-safe turbines).

Hydro now supplies roughly 60 % of domestic power and the entirety of industrial baseload demand.

2.2 The Placentia Bay LNG Terminal

Commissioned 2023 at Grassy Point, Placentia Bay, the Grand Banks LNG Terminal represents Newfoundland’s largest infrastructure project.

Capacity: 9.6 million tonnes per year of carbon-neutral LNG.
Power source: 100 % Labrador hydroelectricity.
Employment: 3 000 direct, 7 500 indirect.
GDP Impact: ≈ ₦ 5.6 billion NFD (12 % of GDP).

The facility exports to Europe and the UK via short North Atlantic routes and operates under a zero-venting and full CO₂ reinjection standard, making it the world’s first industrial-scale renewable-powered LNG export hub.

2.3 Offshore Oil and Gas

Under PetroNewfoundland Ltd., the Jeanne d’Arc and Flemish Pass basins remain active but tightly regulated.

40 % of royalties flow directly into renewable-transition programs.
Automatic sunset provisions require phase-out of petroleum export dependence by 2040.
These legacy assets provide fiscal stability during the renewable transition.

2.4 Renewable Energy Expansion

The next generation of clean power integrates wind, tidal, and hydrogen:

Project	Location	Capacity	Status
Wreckhouse Wind Farm	Port aux Basques	1.2 GW	Operational
Cape St. George Wind Park	Port au Port	0.9 GW	Operational
Bonavista Tidal Pilot	Bay of Islands	80 MW	Testing
Stephenville Hydrogen Plant	Stephenville	150 MW electrolysis	Under expansion
Clarenville Hydrogen Hub	Clarenville	120 MW	Operational

Target: 90 % renewable domestic energy by 2030 and full carbon-neutrality of the national grid by 2035.

3 · Mining and Critical Minerals

3.1 Sovereign Control

The Strategic Minerals Act (2019) secures majority public ownership and mandates local processing for all critical minerals. No raw-ore exports without domestic beneficiation.

3.2 The Labrador Mining Corridor

Running from Wabush to Voisey’s Bay, the corridor yields iron ore, nickel, and cobalt for defence and battery production.
A Trans-Labrador Rail Link (TLRL) connects sites to Goose Bay Port, reducing haulage emissions by 28 %.
Employment: 18 000 direct + contract workers.

3.3 Rare Earths and Strategic Materials

The Argentia Refinery Complex converts REE concentrates into turbine and sensor alloys.
Under the North Atlantic Critical Minerals Partnership (Newfoundland–U.S.–Canada), exports are traceable and allied-certified.

3.4 Innovation and Technology

The Mineral Innovation Centre (MIC) in Corner Brook develops autonomous drilling and AI resource mapping in collaboration with Memorial University. CDC satellite oversight ensures real-time environmental monitoring.

4 · Forestry and Land Stewardship

4.1 Sustainable Management

The Sustainable Forests Act (2012) requires replanting for every hectare harvested and prohibits clear-cutting in watershed zones. Forestry provides 10 000 jobs and 1.6 B NFD in exports.

4.2 Industrial Development

The Corner Brook Eco-Industrial Complex produces engineered timber, biochar, and biomass pellets for export and domestic heating.
Its integrated hydro-biothermal plant uses mill waste to generate district heat for the city.