GODERICH, ONT.—Partners Samsung Renewable Energy, Capital Power and Pattern Energy Group celebrated the completion of the heralded K2 Wind Power Facility on the shores of Lake Huron at its grand opening Sept. 2, saluting a project that will supply clean energy to some 100,000 Ontario homes and also leave a legacy fund for local community initiatives.
The commissioning of K2 Wind, one of Canada’s largest wind energy projects, allowed Canada to surpass the milestone of 10 gigawatts of installed wind energy capacity, making it the seventh country in the world to reach that plateau, according to the Canadian Wind Energy Association.
While in construction, K2 Wind was one of the largest infrastructure projects in Ontario. At peak construction, more than 500 workers were employed on site. A total of 700 turbine tower sections were produced in Windsor by CS Wind and the 420 blades were built in Tillsonburg by Siemens, supporting more than 800 other manufacturing jobs in Ontario.
K2 Wind operates under a 20-year public-private agreement with Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator.
The partners ensured local support for K2 Wind in the host Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW) with the creation of a Community Benefits Fund Agreement that will deliver approximately $15 million in funding for community initiatives over the next 20 years. K2 Wind also has leasing agreements with local residents living near the project.
ACW Deputy Reeve Roger Watt expressed his appreciation for the legacy fund at the grand opening.
“This will enable the Township to undertake infrastructure-improvement and community-development projects over the next 20 years that we otherwise simply would not be able to pursue,” said Watt.
This is the third wind project that Samsung has completed in Ontario as part of its $5-billion investment agreement in Ontario to create what will be the world’s largest cluster of wind and solar power projects. Pattern Energy has a portfolio of 16 wind power projects in the United States, Canada and Chile. Capital Power owns more than 3,200 megawatts of power generation capacity at 17 facilities across North America.
View the original content and more from this author here: http://ift.tt/1KhCbr1
from critical infrastructure alliance http://ift.tt/1KhC8LZ
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment