Algonquin Power has shifted the location of the 177MW Chaplin wind project in Saskatchewan after it was rejected by provincial environmental officials in September.
The new site lies west of the original 19,000-hectare site, which is located near several sensitive bird areas.
The Canadian developer is negotiating amendments to the project’s 25-year power purchase agreement with provincial utility SaskPower, Algonquin chief executive Ian Robertson said in a third quarter earnings call.
“While it’s obviously disappointing that we’re not jumping into the construction of Chaplin right now, we’re going to continue to prosecute development, just perhaps on a slightly slower timeline,” said Robertson.
The C$340m project is expected to start commercial operation in 2019/2020, about a year behind the original schedule.
Algonquin has proposed to build up to 79 turbines in two phases, with a 35MW first tranche.
A 142MW second phase will only proceed following the successful evaluation of the wind resource at the site.
Image: Algonquin
Algonquin rejigs Chaplin site
Location of proposed 177MW project moved from sensitive bird area
By EBS