The new Lanfine Wind Project, located in Oyen’s Special Area 3 in Alberta, has now entered its final construction phase, with the wind turbines being lifted and installed in their final locations, as well as the blades being attached to the rotors. This new facility is expected to be operational by the end of this year, after an investment of close to C$350 million.
Borea, the company in charge of the construction and installation of the 35 Vestas V150-4.2 MW wind turbines – although delivered in 4.3 MW operating mode – that will make up the wind farm, has required the collaboration of Sarens, a major world specialist in heavy lifting, engineered transport and crane rental, for the lifting of each of the structures, as well as the lifting of the blades for their installation.
For these tasks, Sarens has used a Liebherr LR1600 Crawler Crane, part of its fleet of cranes in Canada, thanks to its maximum lifting capacity of 660 US tons with a main boom maximum length of 420 feet, and its great capacity to move over uneven and soft terrain, always guaranteeing the safety and viability of the operation.
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The new Lanfine Wind Project, which will be operated by Pattern Energy, is considered strategic for the Alberta region’s energy grid, to which it will be able to provide 150 MW, enough to supply renewable energy to more than 25,000 homes in the region. In addition, since the project began at the end of 2020, this wind farm has directly created 200 construction jobs, to which must be added those corresponding to maintenance and operation work that will be created once it is operational.
This new park will also provide an important boost to the local economy in the region, as it will generate landowner revenue and provide tax revenue to the local community, which will directly contribute to education, community services, roads and first-responder capabilities. As a part of this project, a Community Benefits Program, that will Support local initiatives and community-based organizations, has also been created.
Sarens has a long history of developing wind projects in Canada. These include the Whitla Wind project, the Golden South Wind Project in Assiniboia and more recently, the Blue Hill Project in Saskatchewan. In the latter case, Sarens contributed to the transport and erection of 50 wind turbines at their final destination. This facility will be responsible for generating up to 200MW of renewable energy, enough to power up to 100,000 homes, and will bring an economic impact of over $45M to its community.
