Minister of Natural Resources Amarjeet Sohi announced the grant funding for the project Friday in Nisku (Photo: Facebook / Amarjeet Sohi)

By Shaun Penner

Geothermal

Alberta’s first geothermal power plant coming to M.D. of Greenview

Aug 28, 2019 | 12:54 PM

Alberta’s first commercial grade Geothermal facility is coming to the M.D. of Greenview.

The project was given the green light to move forward as it was announced Friday in Nisku that a grant from the federal government’s Emerging Renewable Power Program was awarded to project, in the amount of $25.4 million.

Reeve Dale Smith (second from left) was in Nisku on Friday for the announcement alongside Minister Sohi (middle) and representatives from Terrapin Geothermics and PCL Construction (Photo: Kevin Keller)

The plant, which will be situated in the Gold Creek area, just south of Grande Prairie, will help the M.D. of Greenview reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by about 20,000 tonnes per year and provide the surrounding area with five megawatts of power.

Reeve Dale Smith says this is a big step in helping Greenview become more environmentally friendly.

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“It’s the concept that it’s green, renewable power. Once you have the plant in production, I’m told, it works 24/7,” said Smith. “Not like wind or solar, the other renewable powers.”

Greenview will be a limited partner in the project, with Terrapin Geothermics and PCL Construction doing the majority of the work on the plant.

Smith says Greenview has been working on the concept of this project since 2017. The project started as a University study to look at the viability of having a facility like that here, which then led to a partnership with Terrapin at that time. Terrapin was then tasked with surveying and locating the best area for a project like this, in which the Gold Creek area was chosen.

That site choice will also place the facility near the future site of the Tri Municipal Industrial Partnership, which the M.D. is hoping can further attract new industry and business to that area.

The plan is to have the facility up and running within the next three years, but Smith says there are still many hoops to jump through before everything can be completed.

“Because it’s a first of its kind, I’m told that you have to develop it slowly, and work at it,” said Smith.

No estimates on the amount of jobs the project would create were given.

The project is estimated to cost around $50 million.