P.E.I. cleantech firm lands $2M to develop Arctic power system
by Cleantech Canada Staff
Research and development project pairs new turbine technology with energy storage, diesel generators
BRUDENELL, P.E.I.—You won’t find many remote or off-grid locales on Prince Edward Island, but an energy firm on the province’s east coast is investing just shy of $2.5 million to develop a power generating system for use in remote communities not connected to a transmission grid.
Using a $1.8 million repayable investment from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and $500,000 in private funds, Frontier Power Systems Inc. is planning to complete research and development work on a power system that uses a new type of wind turbine, variable speed diesel generators and an energy storage system to supply a steady stream of power to small communities in isolated regions, such as the Canadian Arctic.
The P.E.I. government also contributed $100,000 to the project, while Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) tacked on $50,000.
The funding and continued research and development effort is expected to create 14 new jobs at the East Coast company. Once complete, the company also intends to target export markets with its redesigned turbine.
