Construction to start on Sharp Hills Wind Farm near hamlets of Sedalia and New Brigden
EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA), a leading renewable energy developer and operator in North America, has begun construction on the 297-megawatt (MW) Sharp Hills Wind Farm, the company’s third renewable energy project in Canada. The project will produce enough energy to power the equivalent of more than 160,000 Alberta homes annually. To celebrate this milestone, EDPR NA team members joined government officials and energy leaders at the Sharp Hills Wind Farm in the Hamlets of Sedalia and New Bridgen to commemorate the investment, jobs, economic stimulus, tax revenue, and energy security produced by the project.
The groundbreaking at Sharp Hills Wind Farm is a monumental launching point for the project as it begins to serve residents with affordable energy and economic benefits for decades to come. The project represents an estimated capital investment of approximately $420 million (CAD) and also supports employment opportunities including approximately 300 construction jobs and 15 to 20 permanent jobs to operate and perform routine maintenance on the wind farm. Additionally, Sharp Hills will save more than two billion liters of water each year, which is the amount of water that would be needed by conventional generation sources to produce the same amount of energy capacity as the wind farm.
“Alberta needs electricity now more than ever,” said Whitney Issik, Minister of Alberta Environment and Parks. “This significant investment by EDP Renewables is another example of Alberta being a national leader in renewable energy to fuel our growing economy. The added supply we will have thanks to projects like the Sharp Hills Wind Farm will benefit all Albertans in the long run.”
TC Energy Corporation (TC Energy) and EDP Renewables executed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for 100 percent of the output of the 297-MW project. In addition to all the power produced by the Sharp Hills Wind Farm, TC Energy will receive rights to all environmental attributes. TC Energy is committed to finding solutions for the sustainable energy future, and the investment in the Sharp Hills Wind Farm contributes to its goal of shaping and contributing meaningful advancement toward the energy industry at-large.
“This is an exciting milestone that brings us one-step closer to having 297 megawatts of wind in our power portfolio,” said Corey Hessen, TC Energy Executive Vice-President and President, Power & Energy Solutions. “We are excited to be working with EDP Renewables on the Sharp Hills Wind Farm and this agreement underscores our commitment to decarbonizing our own footprint and the jurisdictions where we operate.”
EDP Renewables is coordinating with approximately 50 landowners spanning more than 35,000 acres to participate in the project under long-term lease and easement agreements. The income landowners receive from lease payments helps support them financially and is often spent within the local economy.
“EDP Renewables is thrilled to break ground at Sharp Hills and do our part to diversify the country’s energy grid,” said Tom LoTurco, EDP Renewables North America Executive Vice President, Eastern Region and Canada and Government Affairs. “We look forward to our future endeavors with the communities in the Alberta region and providing reliable, clean power throughout Canada.”
Vestas will supply the V150 turbines, rated at 4.3 MW and 4.5 MW, at Sharp Hills, and Borea will serve as the engineering, procurement, and construction contractor. The construction period is slated to last through 2022 and the majority of 2023, and the project is anticipated to start operations in late 2023.