MONTREAL – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is bringing Canada and Germany nearer collectively, with Canada searching for to spice up vitality and important mineral exports to Germany as each nations wean themselves off fossil fuels, Canadian and German leaders mentioned on Monday.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday morning throughout a three-day go to with a delegation of German firm executives in tow. The two spoke to reporters afterward with the Montreal skyline behind them.
The two nations are anticipated to announce on Tuesday agreements for Canada to speed up hydrogen and important minerals exports to Germany.
Germany fears an extra discount of pure fuel provides from Russia this winter in retaliation for Western sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine in February, Economy Minister Robert Habeck instructed German broadcaster ARD on Monday. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine “a special military operation.”
“What Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine has done is accelerated and deepened the approach that we have towards each other,” Trudeau mentioned.
While Trudeau left the door open to new tasks to export liquefied pure fuel (LNG) to Europe from Canada’s Atlantic coast, he emphasised the financial difficulties of these tasks and the necessity to decarbonize the worldwide vitality provide.
Canadian corporations are exploring methods “to see if it makes sense to export LNG and if there’s a business case for it to export LNG directly to Europe,” Trudeau mentioned.
Scholz mentioned whereas Germany wants to acquire fuel elsewhere so it isn’t depending on Russian provides, the nation is also aiming to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2045.
Canada needs to decarbonize totally by 2050. By mid-2024, Germany hopes to remove its want for Russian fuel.
“If Germany is one of the countries asking for natural gas, for LNG, it is also a country… that is on the direct way to transform its own economy” away from fossil fuels, Scholz mentioned.
Canada was the world’s fifth-biggest producer of pure fuel in 2020, in response to the International Energy Agency, however presently has no LNG services on the East Coast and no approach to convey fuel to them with out increasing pipelines.
Trudeau mentioned his authorities was prepared to ease “regulatory hurdles” for any new LNG tasks ought to corporations resolve there’s a worthwhile enterprise case to assemble them.
But final week Canada’s Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson performed down the prospects for brand spanking new LNG tasks, saying in an interview that producing clear hydrogen is “the big opportunity” for Canada.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Canada will ban the sale of latest fuel-burning automobiles and light-duty vans from 2035, in step with the European Union goal, and is searching for to develop its critical-mineral assets and appeal to electrical car (EV) battery and automobile makers.
On Tuesday, Canada will ink Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with Volkswagen, a Canadian authorities supply mentioned, and with Mercedes-Benz Group AG, in response to sources in Canada and Germany, to develop provide chains for essential minerals like nickel, lithium and cobalt which might be utilized in EVs.
The MOUs “will show the partnership that these two companies see in Canada,” the Canadian supply mentioned. “The companies will be moving along in partnerships, and signings and things like that with Canadian companies in the very, very near future.”
Canadian Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne laid the bottom work with carmakers throughout a go to to Germany in May, the supply mentioned.
State Secretary for Economic Affairs Franziska Brantner, who’s touring with the German delegation, instructed Reuters on Monday the German automobile business may spend money on lithium processed in Canada instantly.
“Canada has almost all the raw materials that Russia has – but it is democratic, offers reliable legal frameworks,” Brantner mentioned.
Source: auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com