Whitla Wind Farm about to take shape

By Collin Gallant on September 14, 2018.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com @CollinGallant

Crews are blading new access roads and ready to put up the site shop at Capital Power’s planned $325-million wind farm south of Bow Island, company officials told the News on Thursday.

The Edmonton-based utility company received final regulatory approval for the 58-turbine field in late August. This week, work proceeded at the site, which will provide an employment boost of up to 200 workers next spring.

“As of Monday we’ve been clearing topsoil for access roads on landowners’ property to where the towers will be built next year,” said Jerry Bellikka, the company’s director of external government relations.

“Next spring we’ll be doing the bulk of the work to put in foundations, hauling in the huge blades and tower sections, and setting up a concrete plant on site.”

The project was approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission on Aug. 30, with conditions to monitor effects of construction and operations on wildlife in the area, east of the Forty Mile Coulee.

Bow Island Mayor Gordon Reynolds said he’s excited to see construction get underway.

“We’re not expecting a lot to start happening to start until next spring, but it’s very positive news,” said Reynolds.

“There are a number of there projects planned (for the area), this is the first one and it’s a big test.”

Economic developers have long-promoted southeastern Alberta’s weather patterns and business environment as fertile soil for renewable energy development.

More than a dozen large-scale projects for the quadrant of the province are currently before utility regulators. Several are expected to enter this autumn’s round of renewable energy procurement auction with the Alberta Electrical System Operator.

Bellikka said meetings this week with that area’s elected officials and economic developers show enthusiasm to get the project going and completed.

“It’s been incredibly positive,” he said. “The community has been very supportive, and among elected officials and merchants there’s a real buzz — people are excited to see this move ahead.”

Another current focus is build a substantial operations warehouse and maintenance building — a contract awarded to GVN structures, of Redcliff.

It will be located near a planned substation that will put up to 200 megawatts of power produced from the network of towers and connections on to the provincial grid.

The Whitla Wind Farm was one of three projects awarded long-term supply contracts in the 2017 Alberta renewable energy supply auction. It requires the site to be operational by the end of 2019.

Capital Power is managing the construction internally and has hired main contractor Rising Edge Technologies, a North American field electrical installation company with a base in Calgary, to build the turbines, substation and roads.

The logistics plan for delivering tower sections and massive blades is being developed by the manufacturer, Vestas, a Danish firm that has manufacturing facilities in 12 countries.

Components should arrive next spring.

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