News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – Premier Blaine Higgs will travel to the Netherlands and France as part of a trade mission to promote New Brunswick as a global energy leader and build on longstanding economic ties.

As part of the mission, Higgs will present at the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where he will highlight the provincial government’s energy vision and how it can help address worldwide energy challenges.

“We can be a world energy leader and help solve the global energy shortage, while creating unprecedented growth, prosperity and opportunity for New Brunswickers,” said Higgs. “This summit is an excellent chance to promote our unique assets, location and natural resources to develop low-carbon energy solutions for provincial, regional and global use.”

Higgs will be joined by officials from the Belledune Port Authority at the summit, who are seeking investment and trade opportunities related to a planned green hydrogen production plant, anticipated to begin production by 2027. The hydrogen plant is an anchor project for the port’s green energy hub, a special development district designed to attract renewable energy projects and clean industry. The hub also includes plans for wind, battery storage and small modular nuclear reactor technology.

“We look forward to working with the premier and his team to welcome clean industry and green energy development to northern New Brunswick,” said Belledune Port Authority president and CEO Denis Caron. “Europe is one of the world’s largest clean energy markets, and the Port of Belledune has sustainable solutions to offer that can help decarbonize industry and bring wealth to our region.”

Higgs will also be joined by officials from Opportunities New Brunswick.

Following the summit, he will travel to Paris where he will work to further advance the province’s longstanding economic and cultural relationship with France. In Paris, he will speak to the Mouvement des entreprises de France and the France-Canada Chamber of Commerce, and at the Canadian Embassy. Meetings will focus on the province’s energy vision, economic relations, the New Brunswick-France Development Strategy, and bilateral meetings with French companies.