It is expected that the two projects together will export up to 200MW of renewable energy to the Northern Irish grid over the coming decade.
For more information please see the Fair Head Tidal Energy Park Website located HERE
Next steps:
Barlow Solar Park is the first of two adjacent solar projects being developed in Southeast Calgary on capped phosphogypsum stacks owned by Viterra Inc. Solar power generation offers a productive use of the sites that would otherwise have limited development potential. The projects will use a ballasted foundation system to ensure the integrity of the stacks are maintained and the clear, level surfaces of the sites offer an excellent installation platform.
Land Use Redesignation and Development Permit approvals were granted by the City of Calgary for the project in 2019 and the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) approval followed in 2020.
For more information please refer to the Barlow Solar Park Website located HERE
Deerfoot Solar is the second of two adjacent solar projects being developed in Southeast Calgary on capped phosphogypsum stacks owned by Viterra Inc. Solar power generation offers a productive use of the sites that would otherwise have limited development potential. The projects will use a ballasted foundation system to ensure the integrity of the stacks are maintained and the clear, level surfaces of the sites offer an excellent installation platform.
Land Use Redesignation and Development Permit Applications were submitted to the City of Calgary on January 29, 2021.
For more information please refer to the Deerfoot Solar Park Website located HERE
The wind and solar resource, and potential grid export options are under evaluation whilst further ecological surveys are underway and planned.
Medicine Hat boasts more days of sunshine per year (330!) than any other city in Canada and the Saamis Solar Par project is situated in the north-eastern industrial sector of the city. The c.1600-acre site includes a large area of capped phosphogypsum stack and solar power generation offers a productive use of an area that would otherwise have limited development potential. The large, clear and relatively level surface of the cap is ideal for solar panel installation and the project will use a ballasted foundation system to ensure the integrity of the stacks capping is maintained.
A Development Permit for the project was granted in August 2021 and Pending regulatory approvals, construction activities are expected to begin in 2023 with a goal to be fully operational in 2024.
Further information about the project can be found at: https://dpenergy.info/saamissolarpark.
It is intended to carry out site investigations within the project area, potential export cable corridors and landfall areas to assess the site and associated seabed.
For more information please see the Inis Ealga Marine Energy Park Website located here.
The combined project is called Uisce Tapa, which means fast water in Gaelic. DP is planning to develop both berths together as one project to take advantage of improved project economics, reduced exposure to technology risk, improved access to capital and shared operations. Both berths hold a sub-lease from FORCE for the deployment of 4.5 MW maximum export capacity. Both berths have been awarded a 15-year Feed in Tariff (FIT) under the Electricity Act and section 18(2) of the Regulations. The approved FIT rate is CDN$530/MWh and the power will be sold to Nova Scotia Power Inc (NSPI). The project will deploy 6 x 1.5 MW of AHH Mk1 devices – 9 MW.
The Andrtiz Hammerfest Hydro (AHH) MK1 is the proposed technology to be deployed on Berth E. The Mk1 has an 18.4 m diameter rotor and rated power of 1.5 MW. The turbine is a horizontal axis, 3 bladed, seabed mounted tidal turbine, which has been successfully deployed (3 machines) at MeyGen in Scotland. The Mk1 design represents the next generation in seabed mounted tidal turbine development for AHH incorporating a number of new features both to customise elements of the device for operation in the Bay of Fundy, but also to ready the device for commercial scale deployment.
Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) were deployed in late July 2019 in order to collect information on the current flows at the specific project site. The devices will be retrieved in August with analysis expected to complete by the end of September 2019.
Project Description
The site is located within the Westray Firth approximately 24km to the north of Kirkwall, the nearest sizeable port. The Crown Estate Agreement for Lease area covers approximately 13km2 (excluding grid connection corridor) within which the proposed development would occupy a smaller area; work on identifying this and related stakeholder consultation is ongoing.
The project development scope for consenting purposes being progressed encompasses the offshore works (tidal generators, array cabling and export cable to shore) and export cable landfall near the village of Tingwall. Development of the onshore substation to which the project will connect and wider grid infrastructure lies outwith the scope of the project.
At present the electricity network on Orkney and beyond is not able to accommodate projects of this scale and options for development of new grid connection infrastructure are being investigated.
Scoping
In order to inform the environmental and navigational safety studies a Scoping Report and Preliminary Hazard Analysis were submitted for consultation in 2011. A scoping opinion in response to these was received from Marine Scotland in December 2011 and this, along with subsequent discussions, has guided the environmental and technical assessments which have been carried out thus far.
Consultation
An Environmental Statement (ES) and Navigational Risk Assessment (NRA) will be submitted at the time an application for consent is lodged. These documents will describe the project and present an assessment of the likely significant effects which may result from it, including any proposed mitigation measures. Further public consultation will be undertaken prior to lodging a formal consent application.
At this stage in order to inform the preparation of the ES and NRA consultation has been undertaken to ensure that the scope and methods utilised for baseline studies will enable a robust Environmental Impact Assessment to be undertaken.
EIA
Ecological surveys were initiated in January 2012 in order to provide baseline data relating to habitats and species which use the proposed development area. The area of survey varies depending on the survey ‘target’ species or habitat, but in general the zone of interest for development and a buffer around this is covered. A key aim of the surveys is to ascertain if there are any species and/or habitats which may be sensitive to the construction, operation and maintenance of the tidal array and associated infrastructure. Although survey work for some species covers all seasons, particular attention has been given to breeding periods (typically April to July) and specifically when seals are pupping (July for common seal, late autumn for grey seal).
Detailed geophysical surveys with additional ROV seabed video footage have been collected and analysed. The AfL area consists largely of exposed bedrock (Devonian sandstone), with thin patchy distribution of sediment cover. There are few pronounced features except in the north where depths of up to 54m are reached. Areas of highest resource generally correlate with bedrock exposure with significantly fewer seabed features found in these areas.
Geophysical data and ROV footage has confirmed a generally even seabed which would suit a range of tidal device options. Ecologically conditions appear comparable to those at similar depths and current velocities elsewhere around Orkney and are not considered to be particularly sensitive.
A resource assessment of the site has been undertaken utilising seven seabed mounted acoustic doppler current profilers (ADCP), and a resource model developed and calibrated based on this measured data. The model enables predictions of resource for specific areas. Mean spring peak tidal velocities have been determined to be in the order of 3.5m/s (msp).
DP Energy has partnered with Spanish renewable energy giant Iberdrola to build the Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park. With a capex of $500 million, the project will provide around 320 MW of power on land situated on the coastal plain south-east of Port Augusta, in South Australia.
A link to the project website can be found HERE