The 149 megawatt Grand Renewable Wind facility in Ontario is now complete and has commenced operations.
Consisting of 67 2.3 MW Siemens turbines, the wind farm will create enough clean electricity to power approximately 50,000 Ontario homes. All electrical output will be sold under a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Ontario Power Authority.
Grand Renewable is a joint venture between Samsung Renewable Energy, Inc., Pattern Energy Group Inc. the Six Nations of Grand River; comprised of the Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga and Tuscarora nations.
“The Six Nations Elected Council is committed to ensuring we enter into sustainable development projects that not only enrich our economy but are also socially and environmentally responsible,” said Chief Ava Hill, Six Nations Elected Council.
The Six Nations community owns 10% of the project.
More than 500 workers were employed on site during peak of construction, most of whom were Ontarians. 12 full-time permanent positions have been created for ongoing operations and maintenance. Construction of the project began in September 2013.
Samsung says it is making a $5-billion investment in Ontario, “to create the world’s largest cluster of wind and solar power. Our investments will create 900 direct renewable energy manufacturing jobs and 9,000 high-skilled jobs in Ontario.”
Yet to be constructed is Samsung’s 100 megawatt Grand Renewable Solar Project (GRS), the largest solar farm of its type in Canada and one of the largest in North America.
Grand Renewable Wind is the second wind farm in Ontario to reach operational status for Pattern Energy, which says it also has two other facilities under construction and two in late stage development; totaling 1,269 megawatts to be installed in the province by 2018.
The electricity from Grand Renewable Wind will make a significant contribution to Ontario’s clean energy goals.
According to Ontario’s Ministry of Energy, 20,000 MW of renewable energy will be online by 2025, representing about half of Ontario’s installed capacity. The province’s 2013 Long-Term Energy Plan (LTEP) estimates 10,700 MW of wind, solar and bioenergy capacity will be operational by 2021.
Further details of the Grand Renewable Wind and Grand Renewable Solar projects can be viewed here.
