Saamis Solar project would be scaled to produce maximum of 325 megawatts

By COLLIN GALLANT on August 17, 2022.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

A company planning to build a massive solar array on barren land in Crescent Heights is targeting late 2023 for a completion date, according to the private company proposing the renewable energy facility.

DP Energy announced Tuesday that construction has begun at the Deerfoot and Barlow Solar fields on former fertilizer plant sites inside City of Calgary limits.

It designed the projects that use brownfield land that is subject to development covenants before selling them to Atco late last year.

It did, however, retain the much larger proposal to build a similar solar farm on a former WestCo. fertilizer plant tailings pond in Medicine Hat. Viterra owns all three sites.

“Seeing these (Calgary projects) move into the construction phase with ATCO is a great milestone to achieve,” stated Simon De Pietro, CEO of DP Energy, in a release.

It remains in a “supporting” role while the Alberta-based utility will build, own, and operate the 37 and 27 megawatt facilities that are billed as the largest “urban” solar farms in Canada.

The Saamis Solar project would be scaled to produce a maximum of 325 megawatts of solar power in peak conditions. By comparison, the entire City of Medicine Hat’s gas-fuelled turbine complex can produce 298 megawatts.

“Targeting late 2023 for commercial operation, once built, the transmission-connected project will offset around 350,000 tonnes of carbon annually and generate enough electricity to supply the equivalent of 90,000 households,” states the company’s release.

The local project has received a local development permit, but has not yet been proposed to the Alberta Utilities Commission.

Considering the size of the production, the power would be destined for the larger Alberta grid, not the City of Medicine Hat’s distribution network, but city hall, in general has been supportive of the development.

Before last year’s election, city economic developers outlined the importance of regional renewable energy production to its industrial attraction strategy.

The city is also in the early stages of developing a environmental road map that will seek to reduce or offset carbon dioxide emissions from city operations.

Recently the City of Edmonton entered into a power-purchase agreement with the developers of the Wild Rose II wind farm, near Seven Persons, to offset its carbon footprint in the capital city.

“The City of Medicine Hat is considering different low carbon generation options and will continue to make announcements when appropriate,” read a statement provided to the News.

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