Samsung, partner close financing for 150-MW Ontario wind project
by Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
Grand Renewable Wind along shores of Lake Erie scheduled for fall 2014 completion
TORONTO—With its scheduled completion date about a year away, developers of a 150-megawatt wind energy site in southwestern Ontario say financing for the project is now complete.
With work already underway on another massive wind energy project 200 kilometres to the west between London, Ont., and Windsor, Ont., project developers Samsung Renewable Energy, Inc. and Pattern Energy Group LP are nearing construction of their Grand Renewable Wind (GRW) project in Haldimand County, Ont., along the shores of Lake Erie.
Similar to the 270-MW South Kent Wind project, the GRW project will utilize Ontario-made wind turbine blades and towers to produce enough energy to power approximately 50,000 Ontario homes a year.
The blades will be manufactured in Windsor, Ont., while the towers will be built in Tillsonburg, Ont., about 80 kilometres west of the project site.
The project will be comprised of 67 Siemens 2.3MW wind turbines in total.
“Siemens is proud to be a partner in the Grand Renewable Wind project as it represents a significant contribution of the Green Energy Act to establishing and maintaining a green collar manufacturing and service economy in the Province of Ontario,” Siemens Canada Ltd. vice-president of wind power Jacob Andersen said in a statement.
The companies said more than 1,000 workers will be involved in the manufacturing, construction, installation and operations of the project.
The site will also be home to a 100-MW solar power installation.
Wind power generated at GRW will be sold to the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) under a power purchase agreement.
Though no timeline has been set, the two firms said construction of the project would begin “soon,” and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2014.
