The 18.8MW Saint Cyprien community wind farm in Quebec has reached an important permitting milestone.
The Quebec Agricultural Land Protection Commission has granted permission to Kahnawake Sustainable Energy (KSE) to build eight turbines on agricultural land.
Saint-Cyprien still needs provincial environmental approval before construction can begin.
The wind farm was contracted to start commercial operation by 1 December 2015, but has been delayed about a year.
The project is now expected to come online in late 2016.
KSE, created by the Mohawk First Nation’s Kahnawake Economic Development Commission and project initiator Air Energy TCI, plans to erect Enercon E-92 2.3MW turbines.
The project is located about 40km south of Montreal in the municipality of Saint-Cyprien-de-Napierville. St-Cyprien would interconnect directly to an existing Hydro-Québec distribution line.
The wind farm was awarded a 20-year power purchase agreement with provincial utility Hydro-Québec in 2010 following a 250MW call for aboriginal projects. The tender included a 60% Quebec content requirement.
Image: Morgue File
