15MW flare gas power plant planned for Kindersley, Sask.

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on November 27, 2021.

https://www.medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews

The first project in an effort by SaskPower to buy power created from flare gas will be located near Kindersley.

The 15-megawatt “Kopahawakenum” power-plant built near Coleville, Sask. as a $30-million partnership between the Flying Dust First Nation and Alberta-based power developer Genalta.

It will fall under a provincial government program to incentivize the commercialization of fugitive methane, which would be supplied by 4,000 gigajoules of natural gas per day that comes as a byproduct from regional oil production.

That would typically be flared or vented, though more-efficient burning would reduce the relative greenhouse effect by 95%.

Saskatchewan’s Energy Ministry has initially approved the project for up to 25% grant in royalty credits toward the capital cost of construction, which could conclude in 2023.

The Crown electricity company has a power-purchase agreement for the electricity via an agreement with the First Nations Power Authority.

Saskatchewan’s “Methane Action Plan” calls for a 40-45% reduction in methane emissions, equal to abut 4.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, by 2025.

Helium budgets

balloon

North American Helium has raised $127 million in an equity offering to bolster its exploration program in southern Saskatchewan and bring more production online in 2022, the company announced Nov. 23.

That comes after the Province of Saskatchewan announced Nov. 15 that the sector would be eligible for an energy development program that would emit up to 25% or $5 million maximum on new capital projects.

North American Helium opened its $30-million Battle Creek purification facility southeast of the Cypress Hills in 2021, and another producer, Saskatoon-based Royal Helium is advancing drilling new Climax.

Calgary-based Global Helium has said it has expanded its rights holdings to 1.2 million acres in a fairway that extends into southeast Alberta.

Solar

The company that put forward the Dunmore Solar project is now advancing an even larger solar plant in Vulcan County.

Horus Energy is a U.K.-based renewable developer that did the initial work on the plan to build a $200-million, 216-megawatt solar facility north of Dunmore in Cypress County before it was sold to its major shareholder.

This week, Horus officially received approval from the Alberta Utilities Commission to build the 350-megawatt Kirkcaldy Solar energy centre south of the town of Vulcan.

According to updated information on the company’s website, a tentative construction schedule for the Dunmore project would see work begin in March of 2022 on four quarter-sections east of the junction of Highway 41 and 41A.

Pembina power

Pembina Pipeline is ready to kickoff formal construction of its Empress co-generation power plant this month toward an expected completion date late in 2022, the company announced this month in conjunction with regular financial reporting.

The 45-megawatt gas-fired power plant and heat recovery unit would fulfil about 90% of the power needs at the gas straddle plant located in northeast Cypress County. It is estimated to cost $120 million.

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