A solar project in Drumheller will still be continuing forward under new ownership.
The Mail reported in July of last year a solar generation and battery storage project located in Drumheller received approvals from the Alberta Utilities Corporation. It proposed a 13.5-megawatt installation with battery storage to be located near the Drumheller Water Treatment Plant ponds on town land.
At the time, Longspur Development was the proponent of the project. Ian Sanchez, managing director of BowMont Capital and Advisory Ltd. provided the Mail with an update.
“Concorde Green Energy acquired the project from Longspur earlier this year,” explains Sanchez. “They are Vancouver based and very active in renewable energy and have a large portfolio of power assets across Canada including solar, wind, and run-of-river hydro. This is their first investment in Alberta.”
This investment includes three similar projects, including Monarch Solar, Coledale Solar, and Vulcan Solar, which are already under construction.
“Concorde acquired this Drumheller project, and the plan is to start constructing it at some point later this year to be in service later in 2022,” explains Sanchez.
This project includes fixed-tilt, bifacial solar panels. The electricity generated will be exported to the ATCO Electric 25 kV network and once operational, is expected to generate enough power to meet the demands of about 3,000 homes. The arrays will also provide power to charge a battery energy storage system at times of low demands and then discharge at times of peak demands. This will help offset peak loads, easing stress on the system.
The storage portion of the project is supported by Emissions Reduction Alberta, through its Biotechnology, Electricity, and Sustainable Transportation Challenges.
Sanchez says the scope of the project has not changed. As the world comes out of the pandemic Sanchez, says they are seeing the industry thrive.
“You have seen even in the last few months an incredible turning of the tides and governments, and even corporations… just about every big oil company in Alberta has laid out a net-zero plan. We are going to have to do a lot of things to get to net zero in the province and in this country and renewable energy is going to play an important role,” said Sanchez.
The pandemic has caused issues with supply chains. He says they are starting to catch up, but at the same time, there is more demand for these products,
“I think in the coming months it should right itself, the supply side should correct with demand, and it will abate a little bit,” he said.
They are aiming to start work in the fall-winter of this year and complete the project in late 2022.
