Western Canada’s port for project cargo

www.portofthunderbay.ca CANADA SPECIAL REPORT 2015

5 OCTOBER 2015 n WWW.RENEWS.BIZ

Hoping for a second wind

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Canada became the seventh country to reach 10GW of installed wind capacity this year

and by Christmas the total will top 11GW.

Construction is booming in the key markets of Ontario and Quebec while continuing at a slower pace in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. Last year almost 2GW was installed with developers on track to add 1.5GW in 2015 and a similar amount in 2016.

“Canada continues to be a great market and clearly still has potential to grow,” said Senvion North America chief executive Helmut Herold.

Yet after ramping up in recent years the pace is levelling off. The main challenge to future growth is low industrial demand in the wake of the 2009 financial crisis, said Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) president Robert Hornung.

“In most of Canada today new opportunities for wind are not going to emerge from electricity demand

growth because we just don’t see that growth happening.” However, as provinces such as Alberta phase out existing fossil fuel generation they will seek to include more renewables in the energy mix.

Several provinces are also developing new climate change plans. “You don’t get to substantial greenhouse gas emissions reductions without a massive increase in clean electricity in areas like transportation, space heating and cooling and some industrial processes,” said Hornung.

“As governments start to wrestle

with how to put in place the foundation for those significant long-term reductions, that will open up opportunities for wind and other renewables,” he added.

Electricity exports to the US also hold promise for wind development. The topic was a key focus at a recent meeting of eastern Canadian premiers and New England governors.

There are more than 35 high-voltage cross-border connections between the two nations and six major transmission projects are in the works. Canadian exports to the US hit almost 63,000GWh in 2013, mostly from Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, and American demand for clean energy is increasing.

Another big challenge in Canada is the lack of long-term sustainable policies. Successful

initiatives such as Ontario’s feed-in tariff programme, Quebec’s 4GW wind energy target and Nova Scotia’s community feed-in tariff are coming to an end.

“It’s those kinds of bold moves that really propelled the industry,” said Siemens Canada head of strategy and sales Greg Thrasher.

For now there is a lot of uncertainty. Ontario’s 600MW wind energy procurement programme is the only sure opportunity on the horizon but policymakers in Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan are developing new long-term plans.

Several premiers intend to use the stage at the United Nations climate change conference in Paris this December to unveil clean energy policies and initiatives.

Wind is now cost competitive and in a strong position to play a bigger role, said Hornung. “There is absolutely no doubt that when utilities and governments are looking for new supply, wind is going to be a key component of whatever mix they choose.”

The industry is also keeping a close eye on the federal election later this month. While energy policy is largely left to the provinces, if the Liberals or New Democrat Party defeat the Progressive Conservatives, a new government in Ottawa is likely to take a bigger role in promoting renewable energy development. n

CONTENTS

Turbine rivals move beyond familiar power baseNext generation in Quebec awaits marching ordersConstruction deadline cracks whip

Wind on way to 6.5GW in OntarioFull list of coming projectsProvince’s drum beat of growthWind opponents keep tribunal busy

Alberta tide turns greenNova Scotia calls it a dayNew Brunswick back at the tablePrince Edward Island grid full to brimLong odds in Newfoundland

British Columbia in limboMore oxygen for medium-scale projectsWinter almost over in SaskatchewanMegawatts in the works

FRONT COVER: Bow Lake Photo: Surespan

SUPPLY CHAIN/QUEBEC

ONTARIO

ALBERTA/MARITIMES

BC/SASKATCHEWAN

06-08

03-06

09-11

12-14

n n

n

n n n n

n n n nn

n n n n

n

CANADA 025 October 2015

Wind poised for the next chapter

Emissions cuts and exports to US best

bets for overcoming flat-lining industrial

power demand, writes Patti Lane

“...Successful initiatives such

as Ontario’s feed-in tariff

programme, Quebec’s 4GW

wind energy target and

Nova Scotia’s community

feed-in tariff are coming to

an end...”

NEW WIND INSTALLATIONSDue online 2015Province MWALBERTA 29NOVA SCOTIA 200ONTARIO 886QUEBEC 396SASKATCHEWAN 23TOTAL 1534MW

Slated for 2016ALBERTA 487BRITISH COLUMBIA 210NOVA SCOTIA 53ONTARIO 623QUEBEC 293TOTAL 1666MW

Coming in 2017ALBERTA 743BRITISH COLUMBIA 15ONTARIO 200QUEBEC 372SASKATCHEWAN 45TOTAL 1375MW

Starting up in 2018ALBERTA 1049ONTARIO 900QUEBEC 206SASKATCHEWAN 142TOTAL 2297MW

On the horizon for 2019+NEW BRUNSWICK 80SASKATCHEWAN 20TOTAL 100MW

Ontario, Canada’s largest wind energy market, hit several high points this year. Installed

capacity reached 4GW, a competitive renewables procurement round was launched, coal generation was completely phased out and plans have been sketched for a cap-and-trade programme.

Wind farm construction continues at full tilt with developers on pace to reach 6.5GW of total capacity by 2018. More than 500MW has been connected to the grid so far in 2015 and another 300MW is due online by year-end, although the total falls short of last year’s record 1000MW.

“This year, wind came into its own as a mainstream energy provider

in Ontario,” said CanWEA Ontario regional director Brandy Giannetta. “The independent electricity system operator has dispatch well in hand and is using wind to balance the system significantly and consistently.”

Today wind contributes about 8% of Ontario’s generation mix, up from 6%

CANADA 03 5 October 2015

Ontario on way to 6.5GW

Long-term energy plan update on agenda as wind

capacity closes in on capacity targets

04

“...There will be significant

pressure on the government

to continue some degree

of renewable power

generation...”

NIGHT RIDER: Canadian developer BluEarth Renewables can see the finish line at the two-phase 59MW Bow Lake wind project in northern Ontario. All 36 GE 1.62MW turbines have been erected by contractor Surespan and the first 12 started commercial operation in August. The final 24 are expected to be commissioned this month, said BluEarth. The 50% participation of the Batchewana First Nation boosts the feed-in tariff rate by 1.5 cents to C15 cents per kilowatt-hour. Balance of plant was handled by MasTec Renewables Construction. Photo: Surespan

renews.biz

in the first quarter when output was 2.5TWh.

In September, dozens of big-name developers swamped a 565MW large renewable procurement programme, filing more than 100 competitive bids including 25 wind projects totalling 2GW.

The provincial grid operator is seeking up to 300MW of onshore wind, 140MW of solar, 50MW of bioenergy and 75MW of hydropower. Contracts are to be offered by the end

of 2015. International bidders include EDF EN, EDP Renewables, GDF Suez, Invenergy, NextEra Energy, Renewable Energy Systems, Samsung and WPD while the Canadian contingent comprises Brookfield, Capstone Infrastructure, Innergex Renewable Energy, Kruger Energy, Suncor and SWEB Development.

The grid company expects to launch a second 300MW call for wind in 2016. This year’s tender replaced

CANADA 045 October 2015

Province’s drum beatof growth

05

IGNITION KEY: developer Capstone Infrastructure switched on its 25MW Goulais wind farm in May. Port Elgin, Ontario-based Carlsun Energy Solutions handled engineering, procurement and construction and Surespan erected 11 Siemens S113-2.3MW turbines.

Photo: Capstone

ONTARIO End-2014 installed capacity 3490MWOnline date 2015Project MW DeveloperBow Lake 59 BluEarth/Batchewana First NationGoulais 25 Capstone/Batchewana First NationQuixote One 2.35 Leader Resources ServicesEast Durham 22.2 NextEra Energy CanadaGoshen 102 NextEra Energy CanadaK2 270 Samsung/Pattern/CapitalArmow 180 Samsung/PatternClarington 8.1 Sierra Nevada Power/Leader ResourcesAdelaide 40 Suncor/Aamjiwnaang First Nation Cedar Point 100 Suncor/NextEraSt. Columban 33 VeresenGrand Valley 3 40 VeresenNapier 4.1 WPD Canada

2016Amherst Island 74.3 Algonquin PowerPort Ryerse 10 BoralexSnowy Ridge 10 Capstone/Wind Works PowerSettlers Landing 10 Capstone/Wind Works PowerGanaraska ZEP 17.6 Capstone/Wind Works PowerGrey Highlands ZEP 10 Capstone/Wind Works PowerGrey Highlands Clean Energy 18.45 Capstone/NatencoNiagara Region 230 Enercon/BoralexOstrander Point 22.5 Gilead PowerGrand Bend 100 NorthlandGunn’s Hill 18 Prowind CanadaMeyer-Majestic 6 Sierra Nevada Power/Leader ResourcesTrout Creek 9 Sierra Nevada Power/Leader ResourcesCloudy Ridge/Skyway 126 10 Wind Works PowerFairview 16.4 WPD CanadaSumac Ridge 10.25 WPD CanadaWhite Pines 55.35 WPD Canada

2017Belle River 100 Samsung-PatternNorth Kent 1 100 Samsung-Pattern

2018Henvey Inlet 300 Henvey Inlet First Nation/PatternLRP 1 and 2 600 To be determined

03 the popular feed-in tariff programme that doled out 3GW of

wind power contracts. Construction of the remaining

FiT and procurement programme projects will complete Ontario’s goal of 6.5GW of wind capacity, part of its 10.7GW renewable energy target. The province has yet to outline further ambitions.

“I believe there will be significant pressure on the government to continue some degree of renewable power generation,” said Giannetta.

The energy ministry and grid operator plan to revise the province’s long-term energy plan in 2016 with new strategies likely to be released in 2017.

It will be a “balancing act” over the next year or two while the wind industry awaits the next stage, said Giannetta. Energy demand is expected to remain flat but there

could well be a need for new supply in the medium term.

Ontario’s nuclear fleet is due for an overhaul. The Pickering plant is to be decommissioned and the Darlington and Bruce stations are facing temporary closures during repairs.

“A significant nuclear refurbishment will create opportunities and even if energy demand stays flat or decreases we will still have a gap in supply that will need to be filled,” Giannetta added.

The province this year joined Quebec and California in a cap-and-trade system to limit greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy producers hope to win an expanded role in a low carbon electricity system.

Additional opportunities will lie with linking wind, solar and other renewables with storage and demand response. n

Samsung Renewable Energy is on pace to complete a near 1.4GW renewable energy portfolio

in Ontario by 2017 under a C$5bn green energy investment agreement comprising 1069MW of wind and 300MW of solar.

The South Korean company and partner Pattern Energy commissioned two wind farms in 2014, completed the 270MW K2 earlier this year and will polish off a fourth project in the coming months.

Contractor AMEC Black & McDonald constructed K2 and is building the 180MW Armow site. “Construction is on schedule and we are on track for a December commercial operation date,” said a Samsung spokesman.

A pair of 100MW proposals rounds out Samsung’s pipeline. Siemens is on tap to supply about 88 SWT-3.2MW-113 turbines to Belle River and North Kent 1.

Provincial regulators are reviewing a renewable energy approval (REA) application for Belle River. The developers hope to receive a decision in early 2016 and kick off construction next summer. Operation is expected to start in summer 2017.

North Kent 1 has started the REA process and a public meeting is scheduled for 5 November. The proponents aim to bring the final wind farm covered by the Samsung investment agreement online in late 2017. Host municipality Chatham-Kent has an option to buy a 15% equity interest in North Kent 1 and local utility Entegrus has exclusive maintenance contracts for both new sites.

Samsung and Pattern hope to continue their Ontario building streak and have submitted the 100MW North Kent 2 proposal to Ontario’s call for tenders.

NextEra Energy Canada wrapped up a 614MW feed-in tariff portfolio this year. The developer commissioned the 102MW Goshen in February and completed the 22.2MW East Durham in August. General contractor Borea Construction oversaw installation of 14 GE 1.6MW-100 turbines at

the latter wind farm. “This brings the company’s total of clean wind energy in Ontario to over 600MW (representing) an investment of nearly C$2bn,” said NextEra development vice president Al Wiley. The company has proposed two 100MW projects and a 200MW scheme to the large renewable procurement programme.

Canadian oil and gas powerhouse Suncor Energy Products completed the Siemens-powered 40MW Adelaide wind farm in early 2015. The Aamjiwnaang First Nation joined as a 25% equity partner.

AMEC Foster is engineering, procurement, construction and management contractor at the 100MW Cedar Point construction project, which is owned 50-50 by Suncor and NextEra. Borea and its sub-contractors are installing Siemens 2.3MW turbines.

Cedar Point is expected to tie into the provincial grid via

CANADA 05 5 October 2015

TAKE-OFF: the 100MW Cedar Point wind farm owned 50-50 by Suncor and NextEra

Photo: Suncor Energy

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Join us at CanWEA 2015 Annual Conference and explore our latest innovation.

NextEra’s 149MW Jericho wind farm by the end of October.

Ontario officials dismissed appeals this summer against developer Capstone’s 18MW Ganaraska and 10MW Grey Highlands Zero Emission People (ZEP) feed-in tariff projects.

The province’s Environmental Review Tribunal is currently hearing challenges against the company’s 10MW Snowy Ridge, 10MW Settlers Landing and 18.45MW Grey Highlands Clean Energy proposals.

Capstone has hired Quebec-headquartered general contractor Construction Energie Renouvelable (CER) to build the wind farms.

“We anticipate starting construction on Ganaraska and Grey Highlands ZEP this fall,” said a spokesman, with completion slated for late 2016.

Calgary-based diversified energy company Veresen commissioned the 33MW St Columban wind farm in July. Contractor Mortenson and sub-contractor Surespan installed 15 Siemens 2.3MW 113 units.

Veresen’s 40MW Grand Valley 3 FiT project features larger Siemens SWT-3MW-113 turbines, which are being erected by Surespan. Balance of plant work is underway by contractor RES Canada Construction.

04

The expansion scheme is due online in December.

WPD Canada is managing construction of its 4.1MW Napier project with Surespan erecting a pair of Senvion MM92 2.05MW turbines ready for an in-service date in December or January.

Work on WPD’s C$40m 10.25MW Sumac Ridge could get underway this fall but spring 2016 is more likely, said the company, which is also

awaiting provincial approval for its 16.4MW Fairview site.

Opponents have challenged the 55.35MW White Pines scheme and WPD filed its own appeal after the province approved 27 turbines and refused two. The proponent wants the green light for all 29 machines.

AMEC Black & McDonald has kicked off construction at Northland Power’s 100MW Grand Bend wind farm near the eastern shore of Lake

Huron, which will employ 40 Siemens SWT-3.2MW-113 turbines. Nexans will supply 105km of 230kV extra high voltage transmission cable. Grand Bend is 50%-owned by two First Nations and scheduled to go live in 2016.

Borea is at the helm for the 230MW Niagara Region project. Construction of roads, foundations, collector lines and substations got underway this summer. Majority owner Enercon is supplying 77 E-101 turbines. n

CANADA 065 October 2015

Turbine rivals move beyond power base

Top hardware manufacturers push

into new markets across country

Wind opponents keep Ontario tribunal busy

“...The low Canadian dollar is

making us more competitive

in the US market...”

renews.biz

Algonquin Power is holding REA consent for its 75MW Amherst Island wind farm

in Lake Ontario but opponents have appealed the decision to the province’s Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT). A hearing is scheduled for 12 November.

The developer cut the number of turbines from 33 to 26 while switching to Siemens 3.2MW-113 hardware instead of 2.3MW-113 units to maintain capacity.

The appeal will take about six months to resolve, said Algonquin chief executive Ian Robertson. “We would jump heavily into the construction process at the end of the (review) in early 2016,” he added.

The company has contracted Surespan for dock construction on the mainland and the island some 3km offshore and has procured a submarine cable that will link to an existing Hydro One 115kV

transmission line on the mainland. The C$272.5m wind farm is expected to go live in late 2016 or 2017.

Opponents have also appealed the REA awarded to Prowind Canada’s 18MW Gunn’s Hill project. An ERT decision is expected shortly.

The Oxford Community Energy Co-operative owns a 49% stake in the wind farm, boosting the base feed-in tariff rate by a cent per kilowatt-hour to C13.5 cents/kWh. Surespan has been selected to erect 10 Senvion MM92 2MW turbines in 2016.

The 22.5MW Ostrander Point proposal continues to be dogged by legal challenges. An appeals

court ruled against the wind farm due to fears it will harm the endangered Blanding’s turtle and referred the application back to the ERT. Hearings are scheduled for late October.

Ontario developer Gilead Power wants to erect nine GE 2.5MW

turbines on 324 hectares of provincial Crown land in Prince Edward County near Lake Ontario.

Regulators are elsewhere completing environmental reviews for the 300MW Henvey Inlet wind farm in northern Ontario, the largest FiT scheme in the province and a 50-50 joint venture between Pattern and aboriginal-owned Nigig Power.

The Henvey Inlet First Nation has authority to grant a lease and environmental approval for the development, sited on reserve land near Georgian Bay. Community members in August voted 206 to 24 to approve a land lease for the 90 to 100-turbine build.

Provincial regulators are reviewing the off-reserve transmission facilities. The developers hope to receive environmental consents by year-end and start construction in May. Commercial operations are slated to get underway in January 2018. n

Manufacturers are branching out across Canada as the turbine market matures.

Siemens, which holds a near 20% share of the sector largely built on a solid Ontario base, recently won its first supply contract in Quebec for 147MW.

The company is finalising tower and hub deals with local partners to meet the province’s 60% domestic content provision with at least 35% to be spent in the Matane and Gaspesie-Iles-de-la-Madeleine regions.

“We’re focused on future opportunities in Quebec,” said Siemens Canada wind vice president David Hickey. “This is just step one.”

Hydro-Québec’s move to increase power exports to neighbouring provinces and the north-east US is expected to drive demand for hardware. “A key part of our strategy around diversification was to get into Quebec because it is such a key long-term market in Canada,” said Siemens Canada head of strategy and sales Greg Thrasher.

The supplier also expects to start promoting two new product platforms in early 2016, said Hickey. The 2.3MW-120 geared and 3.3MW-130 direct

drive turbines will be available in 2018.GE and Vestas have also won Quebec supply deals and are setting up local partnerships. Local stalwarts include blade fabricator LM Wind Power and tower producers Marmen and Delta.

Senvion has supplied around 10% of the national market. The German company started with a hefty 1375MW order book in Quebec and is now looking westward to Ontario and British Columbia.

“We are diversifying geographically,” said Senvion North America chief executive Helmut Herold. “Next year,

for the first time in our history, more than 40% of our work will be outside Quebec.” Production is ramping up at Senvion’s Ontario blade plant to supply feed-in tariff projects in the province.

Enercon, with a current Canadian tally of about 1850MW, has started

production at a new concrete tower plant in St Catharines, Ontario, and partnered with local outfit Rankin Construction to supply towers to the 230MW Niagara Region project.

The German manufacturer already has an electronics factory in Ontario. The company is winding down production at its Quebec tower plant as it completes final orders in the province.

Turbine players are also leveraging their Canadian operations and supply chains

abroad. Senvion ordered towers from its Quebec partner for a US wind farm and sources some smaller components from Canada for its global operation.

Siemens exported blades from its Ontario plant to Sweden and is looking at other opportunities in Europe.

Contractors and supply chain companies are also eyeing diversification. Turbine installer Surespan Wind Energy is actively pursuing other markets.

“The low Canadian dollar is making us more competitive in the US market,” said divisional manager Jordan Hiebert. “We are also continuing to expand our maintenance services capabilities and are currently evaluating a number of acquisitions.”

There have also been some stumbles within the industry. The elimination of domestic content requirements in Ontario is already shrinking the wind sector. Chinese manufacturer TSP Canada Towers has closed its doors in the province, putting around 120 people out of work.

The company was a joint venture between Shanghai Taisheng Wind Power Equipment (TSP) and British Columbia’s Top Renergy. The alliance has since dissolved. TSP is considering options for restructuring the business but it is not known if the factory will reopen.

CS Wind Canada is now the sole tower supplier in Ontario and has a full order book supplying feed-in tariff projects. Competition will inevitably escalate, however, with steel and towers now open to sourcing from abroad. n

CANADA 075 October 2015

Next generation awaitingQuebec marching ordersGovernment putting

finishing touches to new 2016-2025

energy policy

renews.biz

Quebec is nearing its goal of 4GW of wind and the industry is looking for a new energy

strategy as ambitious as the province’s 10-year plan that ends this year.

Developers expect to construct almost 400MW of total new capacity in 2015. Another 870MW is due to come online by 2018 but beyond that the contracted pipeline is empty and no new procurements are in the offing.

The government is drafting a new 2016-2025 energy policy following months of public consultation. After tweaking and approval by the Cabinet

and Premier Philippe Couillard the blueprint will likely be unveiled in November or December.

“It’s a key document for us,” said CanWEA Quebec policy director Jean-Frédérick Legendre. “It will have very clear objectives for the wind industry.”

In the wake of the policy shake-up, provincial utility Hydro-Québec must complete a strategic plan by the end of June 2016. “Quebec is a clear leader in renewables,” said Legendre. “Now we have to make sure we don’t lose that advantage over the next decade.”

How big a role wind will play is

an open question. The hydro-rich province faces an energy surplus and economic stagnation plus the premier is under pressure to avoid rate hikes. Quebecers enjoy the lowest electricity prices in Canada.

The most recent 450MW call for wind energy “was a big game changer” when three projects were selected at an average cost of 6.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, said Legendre. “That shows like never before that wind is cost-competitive.”

Quebec is working hard to develop new export markets and has set its sights firmly on the north-east US.

Senvion North America chief executive Helmut Herold said: “Quebec has a tremendous, strong wind resource and combined with hydro they have the ideal electrical system.” Bundling wind and hydro could help overcome US objections to large-scale hydro and make exports more attractive.

Hydro-Québec is partnering with several US states on cross-border transmission proposals. The C$1.4bn, 1GW Northern Pass project would feed into New England while the 1GW Champlain Hudson Power Express would wheel Quebec electricity to clean energy-hungry New York City.

Inter-provincial sales could also increase following a deal inked this summer to trade 500MW of capacity with Ontario. Quebec’s continuing electrification of the transportation sector will also boost load demand.

In addition, provincial support for the wind manufacturing and supply chain sector is expected to continue given strict domestic content rules have created a $10bn, 5000-employee industry.

On a smaller scale, the province intends to use off-grid wind projects in remote communities and mining operations as part of its North Plan. n

COOL RUNNER: EDF is racing to meet a 1 December in-service date at its 74MW Mont Rothery wind farm in the Gaspe region

Photo: EDF

CANADA 085 October 2015

Construction deadline cracks whip

ABOVE THE TREE LINE: a second phase is being built at EDF’s 350MW Riviere du Moulin wind farm in Quebec

Photo: EDF

QUEBEC End-2014 installed capacity 2859MWOnline date 2015Project MW DeveloperTemiscouata 2 50 BoralexCote de Beaupre 23.5 Boralex/Beaupre MunicipalityFrampton 24 Boralex/Frampton MunicipalitySaint Philemon 24 Capstone/St Philemon and BellechasseRiviere du Moulin 2 200 EDF ENMont Rothery 74 EDF EN

2016Val-Eo 24 Algonquin Power/Val-Eo Co-opMesgi’g Ugju’s’n 150 Innergex/Mi’gmaq communitiesRoncevaux 74.8 InvenergySt-Cyprien 18.8 Kahnawake Sustainable EnergiesPierre de Saurel 24.6 MRC Pierre de Saurel

2017Nicolas-Riou 224.4 EDF ENMont Sainte-Marguerite 147.2 Pattern Energy

2018Iles de la Madelaine 6 To be determinedTo be determined 200 Hydro Québec Production

Construction is underway on a half-dozen wind farms in Quebec that are racing to meet

a 1 December in-service deadline.EDF Energies Nouvelles is wrapping

up two builds in its eight-project, 1.2GW portfolio in the province. The C$800m, 350MW Riviere du Moulin will be one of Canada’s largest wind farms when contractor Construction Energie Renouvelable (CER) completes a 200MW second phase this fall.

The job includes 175 Senvion MM82 and MM92 turbines, 155km of roads and 144km of buried collector system and created 565 jobs. A 150MW first phase started operation in 2014.

CER is also building EDF’s 74MW Mont Rothery wind farm in the Gaspe region. The C$175m, 37-turbine project is also due online 1 December.

The French developer scooped one of three contracts in Quebec’s most recent 450MW call for tenders. EDF is turning to Vestas to supply the 224.4MW Nicolas-Riou proposal, which will employ 68 V117 3.3MW machines.

The proponent has a 50% stake in Nicolas-Riou and several Quebec municipalities hold the other half of the C$500m wind farm in the lower St Lawrence region. Provincial regulators have scheduled a public hearing later this month. Construction is planned to begin in spring 2016 with commissioning in December 2017.

Montreal-based developer Boralex continues to grow its Quebec portfolio. Earlier this year it picked up the 24MW Frampton community project from Northland Power for C$12m. The municipality of Frampton holds a 33% share. Total cost is

estimated at up to C$80m and construction of 12 Enercon E-82 2MW turbines is expected to wrap up this fall.

Boralex’s 52MW Temiscouata 2 and 23.5MW Cote de Beaupre wind farms employ Enercon E-92 2.3MW machines. All three construction projects are in the final stages and expected to start service in December. Cote de Beaupre is next to the existing Seigneurie de Beaupre site and will bring the total wind cluster to 340MW.

Canadian developer Innergex Renewable Energy kicked off construction this spring at the 150MW Mesgi’g Ugju’s’n wind farm in south-

east Quebec. General contractor Borea Construction is building access roads and foundations.

Senvion will provide 3.2MW-114 turbines, marking the North American debut for the manufacturer’s new 3MW class machine. LM Wind Power’s Gaspe plant has already started producing 55-metre blades and Senvion is finalising deals for towers and converters.

A C$280m long-term financing package for the C$340m project is expected to close this quarter. Mesgi’g Ugju’s’n is on track to start commercial operation by 1 December 2016.

A trio of community wind farms has been delayed. The 24MW Val-Eo,

24.6MW Pierre de Saurel and 18.8MW St. Cyprien were contracted to start commercial operation by 1 December but are now expected to come online in 2016.

US developer Invenergy owns the 74.8MW Roncevaux scheme in a 50-50 partnership with the East Wind Alliance, which includes the Maliseet First Nation of Viger and regional municipal counties in the Lower St Lawrence and Gaspesie-Iles-de-la-Madeleine regions.

The wind farm near Invenergy’s Plateau project east of Quebec City is expected to feature 34 GE 2.2MW turbines. Total cost is estimated at C$172m and first power is due 1 December 2016.

Environmental regulators have started reviewing Pattern Energy’s 147.2MW Mont Sainte Marguerite proposal. The US developer bought the project from initial proponent RES Canada and has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with Hydro-Québec.

The C$275m wind farm south of Quebec City will use 46 Siemens SWT-3.2MW-113 direct drive machines on 92.5-metre towers. Pattern aims to kick off construction in spring 2016 and power up in December 2017.

Hydro-Québec Production was assigned a 200MW block to develop in 2013 but has made no apparent progress, although the company is thought to be discussing a partnership with First Nations or independent power producers.

The utility will outline its generation plans in the next strategic plan, to be released in June 2016, said a spokesman. n

economy is in a downturn. The energy industry is loath to bear the cost of a shift to greener options.

Load forecasts are steadily declining but that will be somewhat offset by coal plant closures under federal regulations. Some 800MW is scheduled to come offline in 2019 and another 1200MW by 2025.

No doubt there will be a need for new electricity supply meaning greater opportunities for renewables despite the economic downturn, said Hornung. “The NDP have been very clear that simply replacing coal with natural gas is not considered adequate.”

An advisory panel is expected to make its recommendations in November and Notley will likely unveil the government’s plans at the UN

climate change conference in Paris in December.

Meanwhile, a single wind project is under construction in Alberta although dozens of proposals remain pinned to drawing boards. The province’s deregulated merchant

CANADA 095 October 2015

Alberta tideturns green

New government looks likely to unveil renewables-friendly policy package at UN

climate conference

Long odds in Newfoundland

“...Pace and scale (of

renewables growth)

will largely depend on the

government’s decisions

about the phase-out

of coal...”

ONE FOR THE BOOKS: BluEarth’s 29MW Bull Creek wind farm

Photo: BluEarth Renewables

renews.biz

ALBERTA End-2014 installed capacity 1471MWOnline date 2015Project MW DeveloperBull Creek 29 BluEarth Renewables

2016Riverview 115 Enel Green PowerWindy Point 63 Mainstream/Alberta Wind EnergyWild Rose 2 189 Naturener CanadaPeace Butte 120 Renovalia Energy/Pteragen

2017Castle Rock Ridge 2 33 Enel Green PowerWelsch 69 EolectricGrizzly Bear 120 EonJenner 120 Joss WindIrma 150 Mainstream Renewable PowerWild Rose 1 204 Naturener CanadaMcLaughlin 47 Renewable Energy Service Ltd (RESL)

2018Sharp Hills 300 Alberta Wind EnergyHand Hills 78 BluEarth RenewablesHeritage 291 Heritage Wind Farm DevelopmentOld Elm and Pothole Creek 300 Mainstream/Alberta Wind EnergyHand Hills 80 Suncor Energy

A change in government could help accelerate renewable energy growth in Alberta. The

western province is Canada’s third-largest wind market with 1470MW online but new installations have slowed to a trickle in recent years.

In May the left-of-centre New Democratic Party crushed the long-reigning Progressive Conservatives, staunch defenders of the oil and gas sector. New Premier Rachel Notley was elected on a promise to polish Alberta’s environmental image with strict emissions reduction measures.

Potential energy reforms on the table include overhauling the carbon pricing system, accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired power plants, expanding renewables and enhancing energy efficiency programmes. More than 50% of greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation in Canada are produced in Alberta.

“The wind industry is very keen to see what’s going to happen,” said CanWEA’s Robert Hornung.

Making Notley’s mission more difficult is the recent collapse in oil prices. Companies have slashed jobs and spending and the provincial

market and low electricity prices make it very difficult to land off-take agreements and finance wind farms.

Calgary-based developer BluEarth Renewables’ 29MW Bull Creek has a deal to sell power to several school boards through the Alberta Schools Commodities Purchasing Consortium. The layout was cut from 115MW to align with the power purchase agreements.

General contractor Skyflo Consulting broke ground in June and has completed roads and foundations. Installation of 17 GE 1.7MW 103 turbines on 80-metre towers is underway. Bull Creek is expected to switch on by year-end.

The Alberta Electric System Operator lists 2334MW of wind projects in the interconnection queue. Eight proposals totaling 1113MW have received regulatory approval and another eight with combined capacity of 1221MW have applied.

“There will be opportunities for renewables to grow in the Alberta market but the pace and scale will largely depend on the government’s decisions about the phase-out of coal,” said Hornung. n

Eastern maritime province Newfoundland and Labrador sees little need for additional

wind energy as it works to reach full power at the massive 824MW Muskrat Falls hydro facility in 2018.

Two wind farms currently contribute 54MW to the provincial electricity network. Efforts to install additional capacity have been rebuffed.

Enel Green Power last year proposed doubling its 27MW St Lawrence wind farm. The developer said it could build eight more turbines on another ridge parallel to the existing nine Vestas 3MW machines but the province declined.

The government is working to refresh its 2007 long-term energy plan and has hinted at new opportunities for wind power.

“As Muskrat Falls comes on stream, our government will continue to look farther ahead to opportunities

to add... wind power and other sources to the mix and maximise the potential of our vast energy warehouse,” said the administration.

St John’s outfit Beothuk Energy is looking offshore as the way ahead with a proposal to build a 180MW wind farm in federal waters to supply markets in Atlantic Canada and the north-eastern US.

Initial permit applications have been filed with Ottawa for a 30-turbine demonstrator in the Gulf of St Lawrence. The site would feature concrete gravity base foundations manufactured in Corner Brook port on Newfoundland’s west coast with servicing run from a hub at Port Harmon in Stephenville.

Beothuk has appointed Canadian renewables investment house Jacob Securities to drum up equity and debt financing for the project, which has an estimated price tag of C$400m. n

CANADA 105 October 2015

Nova Scotia calls it a day

Communityfeed-in tariff

success threatens power rates, says

government

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Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada’s most active wind energy market, has hit the brakes. The

province ended its community feed-in tariff (Comfit) renewable energy support scheme this summer after it “exceeded expectations.”

Energy Minister Michel Samson said the programme had reached a point where it could begin to have a negative impact on power rates.

Electricity generated under the scheme — 80MW is in operation with another 125MW expected online — represents 15% of utility Nova Scotia Power’s fuel cost but only 5% of its output.

The government said it is, however, committed to increasing renewables’ share of the energy mix and plans to unveil a new electricity plan this fall with “cost-effective alternatives for the future”.

“We will exceed our

GROWTH CURVE: the single-turbine Isle Madame project

Photo: Scotian Wind

CANADA 115 October 2015

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NOVA SCOTIA End-2014 installed capacity 368MWOnline date 2015Project MW DeveloperEllershouse 9.2 Alternative Resource Energy Authority Mulgrave 2.3 Celtic CurrentCheticamp 0.9 Celtic CurrentBateson 2.3 Celtic CurrentPoint Aconi 1.9 Celtic CurrentLimerock 5 Firelight/Affinity SPCA/RMS EnergyKemptown 5 Firelight/Affinity SPCA/RMS EnergyGreenfield 3.2 Firelight/Affinity SPCA/RMS EnergyDean Back Road 1.85 Firelight/Affinity SPCA/RMS EnergySouth Canoe 102 Minas/Oxford/NS PowerSable Island 13.8 Municipality of Guysborough/NS PowerAulds Mountain 4.6 Natural Forces/Wind4AllBarrachois 4 Natural Forces/Wind4AllAvondale 1.7 Northumberland WindFieldChebucto Terence Bay 7.2 RESL/Chebucto Wind FieldFitzpatrick’s Mountain 1.4 RMS Energy/Wind Power CharityNorth Beaver Bank 8 Scotian Windfields/WEB Wind EnergyIsle de Madame 1.99 Scotian Windfields/WEB Wind EnergyBlack Pond 1.99 Scotian Windfields/WEB Wind EnergyMartock Ridge 6 Scotian Windfields/WEB Wind EnergyNine Mile River 4 Scotian Windfields/WEB Wind EnergyMacLellan’s Brook 6.4 Watts Wind Energy/Katalyst Wind/Elemental EnergyBarrington 3.2 Watts Wind Energy/Katalyst Wind/Elemental EnergyWedgeport 1.65 Watts Wind Energy/Katalyst Wind/Elemental Energy

2016Cape Breton U 5.4 Cape Breton University/Natural ForcesGoldboro 1.5 Celtic CurrentLingan 1.99 Celtic CurrentLake Major 11.5 Halifax Regional Water CommissionNorth Preston 4.6 Halifax Regional Water CommissionAmherst Community 6 Natural Forces/Mi’kmaq Wind4AllHardwood Lands 6 Scotian Windfields/WEB Wind EnergyBaddeck 1.99 Scotian Windfields/WEB Wind EnergyBrenton 1.99 Scotian Windfields/WEB Wind EnergyPorters Lake 3.8 Watts Wind Energy, Katalyst Wind, Elemental EnergyKetch Harbour 4.6 Watts Wind Energy, Katalyst Wind, Elemental EnergyLiverpool wind/storage 3.6 Watts/Unify Energy

10 target for 25% renewables this year and thanks to large-

scale projects like Maritime Link and to the smaller ones we supported through Comfit we are on track to reach 40% by 2020, possibly sooner,” said the administration.

Nova Scotia and neighbouring New Brunswick have started to optimise their generation resources jointly to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Utilities NB Power and NS Power are dispatching generating stations as one fleet using the current tie-line capacity while ensuring both provinces continue to meet their renewable energy and emissions standards.

Nova Scotia is also opening the electricity market to competition and paving the way for renewable energy producers to sell directly to consumers.

All retailers will be licensed and all electricity sold will be 100% low impact from sources including wind, solar and tidal.

“By next spring, we expect that

consumers will start seeing some options in the marketplace,” said Samson. Several long-stalled wind projects, such as BluEarthRenewables’ 50MW East Bay Hills scheme, are poised to ramp up development if a retail market emerges.

Installed wind capacity in Nova Scotia reached 400MW in 2015 with the commissioning of the 102MW South Canoe project this June. Acciona WindPower North America and contractor Surespan erected 34 AW3000/116 3MW turbines while Daewoo subsidiary DSTN Trenton of Nova Scotia supplied the 92-metre steel towers.

The C$196m project is majority owned by Minas Energy and Oxford Frozen Foods while the utility holds a 49% stake.

NS Power also owns a 49% share of the 13.8MW Sable wind farm in partnership with the municipality of Guysborough. Enercon supplied six 2.3MW turbines under an engineering, procurement and construction contract. n

New Brunswick has unveiled plans to procure 80MW of community projects to help

the province meet a 40% by 2020 renewable portfolio standard.

The programme could foster the first injection of wind power into the provincial electrical system in more than five years. Total capacity has stuck at 300MW since Acciona Energy’s 45MW Lameque wind farm came online in 2010.

The so-called locally-owned renewable energy projects that are small scale, or LORESS, programme includes wind, solar, hydro, marine energy, biogas, biomass and landfill gas projects. “This forward-thinking initiative will help us create jobs and grow the economy in a sustainable way,” said Energy and

Mines Minister Donald Arseneault. A 40MW block is reserved for First Nation communities and 40MW is allocated to local entities such as municipalities, universities, non-profit organisations, associations and co-operatives. The projects must be at least 51%-owned by New Brunswick residents or entities.

The province’s energy ministry published draft regulations in September and aims to finalise the rules by the end of this month.

Utility NB Power is expected to issue a call for expressions of interest by 31 January 2016 for the aboriginal block and by 31 July next year for the community tranche. The company said it plans to structure the procurements after reviewing the tender responses. n

New Brunswick back at the table

Prince Edward Island grid full to the brim

Prince Edward Island started aggressively pursuing a wind energy strategy in 2008 and

now generates more than 30% of its electricity from the technology.

The island’s total peak electrical load is just over 240MW and PEI’s seven wind projects have a combined generating capacity of 204MW, of which about 90MW is exported to the mainland. Any further expansion

plans are on hold as the local grid has reached its limits and cannot integrate any more wind. The maritime province had hoped to build more capacity to serve off-island markets but demand failed to materialise.

Future growth will likely hinge on the market picking up in New England, south of the Canada-US border. n

CANADA 125 October 2015

BRITISH COLUMBIA End-2014 installed capacity 489MW, no additions in 2015Online date 2016Project MW DeveloperShinish Creek 15 InstarAGF/Zero Emission Energy DevelopmentsPennask 15 InstarAGF/Zero Emission Energy DevelopmentsMeikle 180 Pattern Energy

2017Septimus Creek 15 InstarAGF/Zero Emission Energy Developments

British Columbia in limboBut potential new

LNG plants and electrification hold

out hope for demand growth

CAGE CREW: rebar goes in for foundations at US developer Pattern’s Meikle wind farm, about 30km north of Tumbler Ridge in the Peace region. The 180MW project, due to go live in 2016, will combine 35 GE 3.2MW-103 turbines with 26 GE 2.75MW-120 units to provide “an innovative and efficient solution to a complex site”, said Pattern chief executive Mike Garland. Quebec outfit Borea Construction is the general contractor. Meikle has a 25-year power purchase agreement with BC Hydro. Photo: Pattern Energy

renews.biz

British Columbia has yet to lay plans for additional wind energy but is attracting developers as a

long-term play, lured by the promise of future electricity demand based on growth in the natural gas, oil and mining sectors.

The province is currently home to four wind farms with 489MW of installed capacity. Pattern Energy’s 180MW Meikle will be the largest in the province when it is completed next year (see photo caption).

This could be the last big project built for some time, however, as utility BC Hydro said the province has an oversupply of power and it will not buy more from independent

producers in the next five years. “This is a challenging market,” said CanWEA BC policy director Ian Baillie.

Wind power advocates hope that will soon change. “I see opportunities for power calls coming out of liquefied natural gas development and I see opportunities for increasing electrification driving power loads here in the province,” said Baillie.

The BC government is strongly promoting the LNG export industry. Plans for half a dozen dedicated ports on the north-west coast are firming up with at least two proponents nearing final investment decisions.

Energy demand will surge if the plants get built, as will calls for greener sources of generation. LNG opponents are lining up, concerned about spills along the coast and greenhouse gas emissions.

The government is drafting a new climate change strategy with emissions reductions measures. Advisory group Climate Leadership 2.0 is expected to report back this

fall and BC Premier Christy Clark will likely unveil new policies and initiatives in December at the Paris UN climate change conference.

The wind industry is also watching how challenges to the 1.1GW Site C hydroelectric project play out. The plant won final regulatory approval last December but several legal appeals by First Nations are before the courts. BC Hydro has begun site preparation work but is not permitted to kick off construction of the C$8.8bn facility pending final rulings.

“A cloud of uncertainty” hangs over the project, said Baillie. “There would be obvious opportunities for wind developers if Site C doesn’t go ahead or gets significantly delayed because of these legal challenges.”

British Columbia’s last call for clean energy in 2008 attracted more than a dozen wind proposals. According to the BC Major Projects Inventory, some 18 wind projects totalling more than 4GW are on hold until demand increases. n

Two developers are pursuing smaller-scale projects under BC Hydro’s standing offer

programme with the utility reviewing a pair of 15MW proposals by Quebec-based Boralex.

Zero Emission Energy Developments has meanwhile started geotechnical studies and detailed design for a trio of 15MW sites, which will be British Columbia’s first SOP wind farms. Canadian private equity firm InstarAGF Asset Management has bought a majority stake in the assets.

The three wind farms have 40-year power purchase agreements with BC Hydro and will feature Senvion

M114 3.2MW turbines rated at 3MW. General contractor AMEC Black & McDonald is expected to wrap up construction of the Pennask and Shinish Creek projects in the Okanagan in late 2016. Septimus Creek in the Peace region is expected to power up in mid-2017.

The SOP is limited to renewable energy projects up to 15MW and aims to add 150GWh per annum of new capacity.

The target has been met for projects expected to come online in 2015 and 2016. The available energy volume is 6GWh in 2017 and 110GWh in 2018. n

More oxygen for medium-scale projects

CANADA 135 October 2015

SASKATCHEWAN End-2014 installed capacity 198MWOnline date 2015Project MW DeveloperMorse 23 Algonquin Power

2017Chaplin 1 35 Algonquin PowerRiverhurst 10 Capstone Infrastructure

2018Chaplin 2 142 Algonquin Power

2019Western Lily 20 Gaia Power

Winter almost overin Saskatchewan

Utility in coal-heavy province launching fresh procurement

drive for wind generation capacity

“...Saskatchewan’s last

175MW competitive call for

wind power in 2011 drew a

flood of bids totaling more

than 4GW...”

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GLOBAL OFFSHORE 0428 November 2014

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After a long chill the wind sector in Saskatchewan is set to heat up again. Utility SaskPower,

which in recent years nixed calls for additional wind procurements, has unveiled new targets for the technology to contribute 10% of total generation capacity by 2020 and 20% by 2030.

Saskatchewan is one of the fewregions in Canada where electricity demand is forecast to grow substantially. SaskPower, a provincially-owned Crown corporation, expects usage to increase more than 40% from 2014 levels to 33,104GWh a year in 2034.

The government continues to underscore its commitment to coal-based generation, which accounts for 37% of SaskPower’s total capacity, and is trumpeting its Boundary Dam

carbon capture and storage project, the first operational plant of its kind in the world.

The administration said it does, however, recognise the need for more environmentally-friendly power sources to meet growing demand, replace ageing generators and comply with the federal phase-out of coal.

The province unveiled a 20-year deal in September to buy hydro-electricity from neighbouring

Manitoba and is looking at other renewables to help reduce overall emissions. “Wind will play a key role in SaskPower’s future mix of clean generation options,” said the utility.

Total installed wind capacity reached 221MW this year and will double to 428MW by 2019 when a handful of contracted projects are commissioned (see story page 14).

The utility is in the middle of planning a new 100MW call for wind energy to round out the 2020 target. “It’s our hope we’ll see an initial procurement this fall or next spring,” said CanWEA’s Robert Hornung. In the longer term an estimated 600MW to 800MW will be needed to reach the 20% by 2030 goal.

SaskPower is mulling a series of requests for proposals for single 100MW projects to be deployed over time. That size balances economies of scale for developers with the utility’s need to manage the transmission

system. Under consideration is a streamlined bid process with pre-screening of developers and sites but details have yet to be released. “We’ll be providing the industry with further updates as we establish a comprehensive renewable strategy,” said a SaskPower spokesperson.

Saskatchewan’s last 175MW competitive call for wind power in 2011 drew a flood of bids totaling more than 4GW. More than two dozen proposals have been gathering dust ever since although they could be revived given the prospect of new procurements.

“There’s no doubt there will be opportunities for wind in Saskatchewan,” said Hornung.

n Generation in Manitoba, Saskatchewan’s neighbour to the east, is 98% hydro. The province has 258MW of installed wind capacity and no plans for further development. n

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CANADA 145 October 2015

Saskatchewan megawatts in the works

DOT DASH: Algonquin commissioned the 23MW Morse wind farm, featuring 10 Siemens SWT 2.3MW 113 direct drive turbines, earlier this year. Contractor Signal Energy handled balance of plant at the C$82m project, which holds a 20-year power purchase agreement with SaskPower under the province’s Green Options lottery scheme. Additional land under lease could allow for future expansion. Photo: Algonquin Power

Developers in Saskatchewan are advancing plans for one large wind farm and a few small

projects that are due online by 2019.Algonquin Power is to build the

177MW Chaplin project in two stages and has pushed back the projected in-service date by at least a year. An initial 35MW test phase slated for construction in 2017 is intended to prove the site’s viability.

The developer aims to build a 142MW second phase in 2018

following wind resource evaluation and completion of permitting. Provincial regulators are reviewing an environmental assessment report.

Algonquin expects to sign a turbine supply agreement by year-end. The C$340m Chaplin development, 150km west of capital Regina, holds a 25-year power purchase agreement.

Gaia Power is currently finalising a turbine supply contract for the 20MW Western Lily proposal, a

Green Options lottery project. “Based on ongoing work, the commercial operation date is expected to be 2019 or earlier,” said Gaia principal Samit Sharma.

RRC International was awarded the engineering service contract for geotechnical work.

Capstone’s 10MW Riverhurst wind farm also holds a 20-year contract through the Green Options programme. The developer aims to complete construction in 2017. n