Irish renewables company DP Energy has completed the sale of the largest urban solar development in North America.
The Cork-based company has sold the 325MW ready-to-build Saamis Solar Park to the City of Medicine Hat in Alberta, Canada.
The transfer was approved by Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), which has enabled the City to finalise the acquisition of the project.
DP Energy secured the development rights to the site in 2017, then obtained a development permit in 2021 and the necessary approval from the AUC in 2024 to construct and operate the project.
With the transfer of the approval, the City of Medicine Hat has acquired a ready-to-build solar project with all the necessary permissions in place.
The City now intends to seek an amendment to allow it to construct the Saamis Solar Park in phases, with the first phase adding 75MW of additional generation to the City’s existing fleet of generating units.
Situated in the northwest of Canada’s sunniest city, Saamis Solar Park is expected to generate enough electricity to supply the equivalent of approximately 100,000 households and offset around 350,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
Home to more than 600,000 solar panels, Saamis Solar Park will create a significant number of jobs during the construction, operation, and decommissioning phases, as well as extensive indirect opportunities across the full supply chain.
DP Energy’s development portfolio in Canada includes a range of solar, onshore wind, storage and offshore wind projects across the country.
These include the 400MW Nova East Wind project, a joint venture with SBM Offshore, which is set to be Canada’s first offshore wind project.
DP Energy’s head of development in Canada Damian Bettles said: “As the largest urban solar development in North America, Saamis Solar Park is a project we are proud to have developed.
“With the sale to the City of Medicine Hat, it adds a dual aspect to the success story. Not only is it a productive use of a large area of contaminated land, it now also has the potential to contribute to the City’s energy transition to clean, renewable power.
“DP Energy are pleased to have worked with the City of Medicine Hat and with Viterra, owner of the development land, on this successful project and thank them both for their involvement.”