Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI), a renewable energy subsidiary of the Libra group has been selected to build a 100-MW solar farm in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan under an offtake agreement with SaskPower a local utility company.
The project has been awarded to Iyuhana Solar, a Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure led partnership with Saturn Power Inc and the Canadian Indigenous peoples Ocean Man First Nation. This will be in charge of building and operating the utility scale solar plant as per an exclusive Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
Project Cost
The Iyuhana solar project is estimated to cost about CAD 200 million to construct, operate and to deliver power generated to the principal municipal utility company, SaskPower for the next 25 years. Once operational the facility will be able to generate electricity to power approximately 25,000 households and is flaunted as one of the largest solar deals since 2015.
Location
The Iyuhana solar farm will be located in the rural municipality of Estevan in the southeast Saskatchewan and is said to be one of the top 10 largest emission free solar facilities in the country.
Ocean Man First Nation will have an ownership stake in the solar plant as a founding partner. Employment opportunities shall be created as members receive specialized training to maintain the solar site.
Additionally, partnering with two of Saskatchewan’s most outstanding post-secondary academic institutions, Iyuhána will provide direct research projects in clean energy, internships and scholarships to benefit the community,
Future plans
With plans to construct about 3,000 MW of new renewable power capacities in the region by 2035, SaskPower says the Iyuhana project is the first of many such planned solar projects in the province.
This comes at a time when renewable energy is developing throughout Canada and Saskatchewan’s clean power supply is majorly from hydro and wind.
The GSI CEO, Mazen Turk, expressed pride in the transformative power and solar energy they have brought to Saskatchewan by working with partners such as Ocean Man First Nation. He further asserted that this work is important to their ethos as a Libra company, and they look forward to continuing to help support a clean energy future across Canada. This particular collaboration shows the importance of renewable energy to harness resources and empower communities responsibly.
Rupen Pandya, SaskPower CEO said the new solar facility will play an important role in their path to net zero sooner or by 2050. He expressed content with the collaboration with indigenous people and the critical role they play in the successful expansion of renewable energy in the province.
New York based GSI specializes in distributed generation and utility scale solar energy and battery storage projects. Last year, it bought Saturn Power’s solar and battery development portfolios, including its team of seasoned developers and an about 1.4-GW pipeline of early- to late-stage solar and energy storage projects.
About GSI
Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) is one of the clean energy subsidiaries of Libra Group. GSI is a renewable energy company focused on the development, construction, and operation of distributed generation and utility-scale solar energy and battery storage projects in North America.
About Ocean Man First Nation
The Ocean Man First Nation is a Nakota, Cree, and Saulteaux Band Government in southeast Saskatchewan. OMFN is led by Chief Connie Big Eagle & Council and features a population of 565 members. Ocean Man First Nation created a renewable energy company in 2019 called Second Wind Power. The name Second Wind Power reflects Ocean Man First Nation’s history of relocating, re-establishing and starting over as a new community since 1989.
About Ocean Man First Nation
The Ocean Man First Nation is a Nakota, Cree, and Saulteaux Band Government in southeast Saskatchewan. OMFN is led by Chief Connie Big Eagle & Council and features a population of 565 members. Ocean Man First Nation created a renewable energy company in 2019 called Second Wind Power. The name Second Wind Power reflects Ocean Man First Nation’s history of relocating, re-establishing and starting over as a new community since 1989.
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