After years of planning, the Fox Coulee Solar Farm in Starland County held a ceremony to kick off its construction.
Representatives from Neoen, the lead company in the project, as well as representatives from Goldbeck Solar, ATCO Electric and Invest Alberta were on hand on Tuesday Morning, June 20, at the site north of the Drumheller Airport to ceremonially break ground.
“We want to be local, we want to be a good citizen, a good neighbour and a long-term investor for the region,” said Chairman and CEO of Neoen Xavier Barbaro. “We want to grow. While we are ambitious we are very humble. We want to learn about how to do a good job in the province. Do not hesitate to give us some feedback because we are here for the long run.”
The project was initially spearheaded by Aura Power which developed and permitted the project but was acquired by Neoen in June of 2022. It will be the long-term operator and will remain so for its operating life. This is the French-based company’s first plant in Canada and will be one of the largest solar installations in Alberta. The contract for installation was awarded to Goldbeck Solar.
According to a press release, the installation will have a capacity of 94 NWp and will be connected to ATCO Electric’s distribution system. The solar farm will contribute to the target of carbon neutrality by 2035.
Groundwork began in April, and peak construction activity will happen this summer. It is slated to be online in the first quarter of 2024. When in service, it will have the potential to power 20,000 homes and prevents the emission of about 70,000 tonnes of CO2 a year. It is a $130 million investment.
Neoen intends to sell a significant part of the electricity generated, together with the environmental benefits, via power purchase agreements. The remainder will be sold on Alberta’s electricity market, taking advantage of the province’s deregulated electricity market and ambitious carbon taxation policy.
Barbaro says that oil and gas will still play a significant role in the province’s energy future.
“We do believe that renewables and oil and gas can be a good match,” he said. “It is a joint solution because the world is becoming more electric and we need to rely on gas.”
Benoit Pinot de Villechenon, province leader for Alberta for Neoen, tells the Mail it will have a significant impact on the community.
“First, Neoen will be providing competitive and green electricity to the Alberta grid. Second, we are working on more local-specific initiatives to share benefits with the local community. It is still under development as it will take place mostly after construction, but some of our options are: training, sponsorship of local initiatives, promotion of local artwork, try to prioritize local employment. We will engage with the County and community in the next few months and are open to any idea coming from the community,” he said.