A solar field that could produce more power than the City of Medicine Hat's main power plant and would sit north of the city, is now before regulators seeking approval.--SUPPLIED IMAGE
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
Saamis Solar, the massive solar panel array proposed for barren land north of Crescent Heights, is now before regulators with the hope it could be built over the next two years.
The $600-million project would see concrete pads placed on the former dry pond of the Westco Fertilizer plant and adjoining land owned by Viterra southeast of the CF Industries Fertilizer plant.
The News exclusively broke the story in 2019 that Irish renewable energy firm DP Energy was evaluating the site for what could become one of the largest urban renewable energy production sites in Canada.
On Friday DP Energy official submitted its application to the Alberta Utilities Regulator to build on five quarter-sections and sell the power onto the Alberta grid.
Company officials were not made available to discuss the project, but have expressed enthusiasm in the past. In 2020 they announced the Saamis facility plans had expanded from an initial 200-megawatt production capacity.
The application states about 630,000 panels would be capable of producing 325 megawatts of power in peak conditions. (The City of Medicine Hat’s natural gas-fired power plant complex can produce 299 megawatts). Additional battery storage could see another 86 megawatts provided.
At that amount, over the course of the year, the solar facility could supply 100,000 homes.
The City of Medicine Hat’s power generation company has no formal involvement in the project, but city economic developers and elected officials have previously said the project would be beneficial to the local economy.
The application states that, if approved, construction could begin in June 2023 and be complete by the end of 2024.
About 200 construction jobs would be created for site work, installing roads, the arrays and collector network, then a smaller maintenance and operations staff afterwards.
The development would also reclassify about 600 hectares (1,500 acres encompassing parts of 14 quarter-sections) from low-rate farmland tax classification to the non-residential tax roll and boost assessment substantially.
That could add up to several million dollars each year in tax revenue from the 25- to 30-year lifespan.
At a public open house this summer, company officials discussed potential construction and operations concerns with residents of Crescent Heights, Northlands and Terrace, where a dozen homes sit within a 400-metre radius of the edge of the site.
More than 1,200 names and addresses are listed as interested parties that reside within 1 km.
A noise assessment filed by the company states it would emit minimal daytime noise (less than chemical plant sites to the northwest), and virtually none overnight. Glare, wildlife and other assessment required in proposals were also filed on Nov. 24.
A report by NavCAN regarding air travel near the site states it is 3.4 km from the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital heliport, but beyond the 4 km radius that requires greater study from the Medicine Hat Regional Airport.
The commission will now open public feedback period and, afterwards, could either make a determination of granting the permits or require a public hearing process open to address concerns.
The land itself is owned by Viterra, which struck similar lease agreements with DP Energy for environmentally restricted former dry pond sites in Calgary. Those sites. like Saamis, contain capped phosphogysum stacks left over from chemical production, and which cannot be disturbed.
Barlow Solar and Deerfoot Solar are now being constructed after those projects were bundled in a sale to Atco’s power generation subsidiary, Canadian Utilities, last fall.
