Latest news with #MichaelGalvin
CBC
23-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Renewable energy megaproject on Eastern Shore prepares for environmental assessment
A proposed jet fuel megaproject on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore is inching forward, with the proponents saying they plan to submit for environmental assessment before the fall. The proposal is to produce sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, a lower-emission alternative to conventional jet fuel, and ship it by boat to distributors and airlines. The project would include two components in Guysborough County — a joint wind and solar farm in St. Mary's and a plant in the community of Goldboro. The plant would use the wind and solar energy, as well as wood chips, to power hydrogen production. The hydrogen, in turn, would power the production of SAF. Michael Galvin has been working on the idea for four years and said he's eager to make the project's first submission to the province. He expects the application for environmental assessment for the Goldboro plant will be made in early September. "It's really significant and it's also really significant for our investors to see that we have reached this milestone," he said in an interview. The project began with Irish firm Simply Blue Group, but changed hands this year. Galvin was chief operating officer at Simply Blue and moved, along with the project, to Octopus Energy Generation, which is now backing the project. A local entity, Nova Sustainable Fuels, was created to manage the project. Interest in sustainable aviation fuel has been growing in recent years, particularly in Europe where some governments have set mandates and created subsidies for its use. Galvin said that means the list of proposed SAF projects — and competitors — got very long. But he said that's begun to change. "A lot of the hype has started to die down. And now you're seeing the really serious players and really serious investors have now stepped forward, and I think you're seeing the strongest projects and the most likely projects to run to completion." Galvin said completion for his project is still at least five years away, assuming it receives all the necessary approvals and raises enough capital. He wouldn't put an exact number on it, but said the cost will be in the billions of dollars. "It's costing more than I wish it was going to cost. These are big numbers and big infrastructure projects," he said. This is not the only major industrial project proposed for Guysborough County. Other companies are eyeing the remote eastern corner of mainland Nova Scotia for wind farms to power hydrogen production, a commercial spaceport and a gold mine. Paul Long, warden of the District of the Municipality of Guysborough, said the local government is hungry for economic development. "We're a small, small municipality — there's only 4,500 people or so in the municipality," Long said in an interview. "So we can't rely just on the tax base, the residential tax base, to do the things we want to do and provide the services for our residents." Some past proposals for big industrial projects in the area have flopped, such as the LNG export facility that was abandoned two years ago. The company behind it sold its land and building permits to Simply Blue. Long said past failures have left some residents "leery," but he thinks generally people are open to new proposals. Nova Sustainable Fuels is hosting a community event this week to court community buy-in. Long said they already have council's support. He believes there's a unique window open now for new projects to get underway. He pointed to Premier Tim Houston's push for more resource development, and Prime Minister Mark Carney's focus on major projects. "Everything seems to be falling in line," said Long. It will be years before Galvin is ready to say whether everything has, in fact, fallen in line. He said he expects a final investment decision in 2027. He said groundbreaking would happen no sooner than 2028, which could lead to an operational plant in late 2030 or 2031.
The Spinoff
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
Huge news: Chris Warner has made it to Brokenwood
Michael Galvin kills it in the new season of The Brokenwood Mysteries. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you're a fan of murder, small towns and Chris Warner, then the return of The Brokenwood Mysteries is all your dreams come true. The 11th season of the popular local drama begins this Sunday on TVNZ, bringing with it a fresh round of bizarre and unusual deaths that take place in the sleepy rural community of Brokenwood. You're likely to get murdered the moment you arrive, but that doesn't stop detectives Mike Shepherd (Neill Rea), Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland) and Daniel Chambers (Jarod Rawiri) from solving the endless number of chaotic killings that keep happening in their town. The new season launches with a cracker of an episode. It guest stars Michael Galvin, aka Dr Chris Warner, who sheds his Shortland Street skin to play faded 1980s rock star James Hathaway. Hathaway's flamboyant lace cuffs are as droopy as his career; he sings lines like 'two by two/take me to your ark' and languishes through a reunion tour that opens in the murder capital of Aotearoa. The crowd is smaller than James had hoped: just 19 people, one of whom is about to cark it in suspicious circumstances. 'I've had root canals more enjoyable,' pub owner Trudy says of James' musical performance. Galvin, however, looks like he's having the time of his life. Ferndale must be the only place in New Zealand television more dangerous than Brokenwood, but Galvin is a delight as the emotional, pampered rock star whose spotlight is fading by the second. It's not the first time Galvin has treated us to a memorable musical number, but this does mark a rare and welcome step outside of Shortland Street hospital and reminds us of Galvin's acting talents. He also joins an impressive list of New Zealand legends to appear in Brokenwood over the past 11 seasons, including Robyn Malcolm, Rebecca Gibney, Ian Mune, Miranda Harcourt and Sara Wiseman. I won't spoil how the murder takes place, or give away the twist that comes near the end. Just know that this episode is Brokenwood at its best: familiar, funny and a little ridiculous. The writing is sharp and focused, the humour is wonderfully acerbic, and in its most bonkers moments, it feels like Brokenwood is happily taking the piss out of itself. Every time Galvin's New Romantic curls flop all over his run-down motel room, it's as if Brokenwood is saying: we know this is absurd, but we know what you're here for, too. Far-fetched? Absolutely. Quietly entertaining? Always. After 11 seasons, there aren't many TV shows that continue to feel as fresh and energised as Brokenwood. It's giving the people exactly what they want – murder, music and some dry one-liners – without ever resting on its laurels. Brokenwood is a true New Zealand TV success story, a show that sits comfortably in a niche of its own making, but continues to charm and surprise. You should never trust a stranger in Brokenwood, and yet, I hope they never stop coming to town.
