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Newfoundland and Labrador’s energy resources include crude oil, hydropower and wind power. The province generates electricity from hydropower, wind power, oil, diesel and natural gas.
The oil and utility sectors account for about 30 per cent of Newfoundland and Labrador’s gross domestic product.
In 2008, Newfoundland and Labrador received approximately $1.8 billion in oil royalties. The energy and utilities workforce in Newfoundland and Labrador totals 4,450 employees.
Newfoundland and Labrador’s energy exports include crude oil, refined petroleum products and electricity.
Discover the key energy facts about Newfoundland & Labrador.
By the numbers (580KB PDF)
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Crude Oil
Crude oil reserves in Newfoundland and Labrador totalled approximately 1.7 billion barrels at the end of 2007. These reserves are primarily in the offshore Jeanne d’Arc Basin approximately 300 kilometres east of St. John’s.
There are three producing fields the Jeanne d’Arc Basin – Hibernia, which averaged 134,794 barrels per day in 2007, Terra Nova, which averaged 116,164 barrels per day and White Rose, which averaged 117,260 barrels per day. Total production in 2007 amounted to 134.4 million barrels or 368,219 barrels per day.
Hibernia was discovered in 1979 and began producing in 1997. Both Terra Nova and White Rose were discovered in 1984. Terra Nova began producing in 2002, White Rose in 2005.
The province received $2.5 billion from the petroleum industry in 2008.
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Refineries
The North Atlantic Refining Ltd. Operates a 115,000 barrel per day refinery in Come By Chance, northwest of St. John’s. Crude oil is delivered by tanker from the Middle East, Russia and Venezuela.
Products include gasoline, ultra low sulphur diesel and other distillates.
The refinery employs just over 600 people.
The refinery was built between 1971 and 1973, and refined its first oil in 1973. Following the bankruptcy of its original owners in 1976, the refinery was refurbished in 1986 and again in 1994.
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Hydropower
Newfoundland and Labrador has an installed hydroelectricity capacity of 6,386.1 megawatts or 89.9 per cent of the province’s total.
The largest hydroelectricity plant in the province is Churchill Falls in Labrador, with an installed capacity of 5,446.7 megawatts. Most of the electricity generated at Churchill Falls is sold to HydroQuébec through a long-term agreement.
The largest hydroelectric plant on the island of Newfoundland is the 604 megawatt Bay d’Espoir facility. Of the 11 hydroelectricity generation stations in the province, two are in Labrador and nine are on the island.
In 2007, island hydroelectric generation totalled 4,704 gigawatt-hours.
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Wind Power
There are currently two operating wind farms in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The St. Lawrence Wind Farm, on the south coast of the island, began generating electricity in 2008 and has an installed capacity of 27 megawatts.
Another commercial wind farm within the province began operating in May 2009. The Fermeuse wind farm, located on the Avalon Peninsula south of St. John's, has an installed capacity of 27 megawatts.
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Thermal Electricity Generation
There is one oil-fired generating station and 25 diesel-fired thermal plants in Newfoundland and Labrador with a combined installed capacity of 545.7 megawatts, or 7.7 per cent of the provincial total. Nine of the facilities are on the island and 17 are in Labrador. Twenty-one of the facilities serve remote locations and are not connected to the grid.
The oil-fired plant, Holyrood, near St. John’s, is the largest at 490 megawatts installed capacity. It generated 1,340 gigawatt-hours in 2007.
Newfoundland and Labrador has four gas turbine generating stations, one in Labrador and three on the island. Combined installed capacity is 150 megawatts, or 2.1 per cent of the province’s total.
The largest gas turbine plants, at 54 megawatts installed capacity each, are in Stephenville and Hardwoods.
