Last week, Elemental Energy announced it purchased the 25 MW Innisfail Solar Project located in Red Deer County. By its forecast 2020 completion date, it will the the first merchant solar project in Alberta.
“The transition of Alberta’s power grid is officially underway,” says Jamie Houssian, Principal of Elemental Energy. “The solar industry is moving forward in Alberta, and along with continued growth in wind energy here, we are helping to significantly reduce emissions from Alberta’s electricity system.”
Elemental Energy says it bought the Innisfail Solar, which has been developed in cooperation and partnership with the town of Innisfail, from Longspur Developments. Innisfail owns the land where the project is located.
Dan Eaton, director of project development at BC-based Elemental Energy says “Longspur did a great job developing this project, and our team at Elemental has built on that success and is now excited to be under construction.”
Innisfail Solar will be the first utility-scale project of its kind in Alberta and the electricity generated will be traded daily within the Alberta energy portfolio.
In a press release issued by Elemental Energy, the renewable energy developer and investor says “The project has had tremendous support from the local community.” According to the company, the project is providing positive economic impact to the region “and will continue to do so for at least several decades into the future.”
GP JOULE has been awarded the engineering, procurement and construction contract for Innisfail Solar, which was granted its Alberta Utilities Commission permit in May 2019.
“Our entire team looks forward to breaking ground this fall in Innisfail with the Elemental Energy Team and the local community, after nearly 6 months of engineering optimization”, says David Pichard, CEO, EPC Business Unit North America.
Pichard says his company’s cold climate experience and proven experience will help ensure the project’s success. “The system has been engineered to maximize energy yield for the next 35 years, with unique features like advanced asset management control capabilities and a plug-and-play solution to allow for battery storage coupling at a later time.”
Innisfail Solar will be built on approximately 100 acres of land located near Innisfail and will generate long-term revenue for the town through a lease and community benefits agreement.
Elemental Energy says it is providing the equity financing for Innisfail Solar and will be the long-term owner and operator of the project.
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