Cork-headquartered DP Energy completes sale of Canada's largest urban solar project
DP Energy’s development portfolio in Canada includes solar, onshore wind, storage and offshore wind projects across the country
Cork-headquartered DP Energy has completed the sale of North America's largest urban solar project Saamis Solar Park to the City of Medicine Hat in Alberta, Canada.
The transfer was approved by Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) which has enabled the City to finalise the acquisition of the 325MW project.
DP Energy secured the development rights to the site in 2017 and obtained a Development Permit in 2021 before gaining the necessary approval from the AUC in 2024 to construct and operate the project.
With the transfer of the approval, the City of Medicine Hat has acquired a ‘ready-to-build’ solar project with all necessary planning and environmental approvals in place.
The City now intends to seek an amendment to allow it to construct the Saamis Solar Project in phases, with the first phase adding 75MW of additional generation to the City’s existing fleet of generating units.
When fully built, Saamis Solar Park is expected to generate enough electricity to supply the equivalent of approximately 100,000 households and offset around 350,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
Home to more than 600,000 solar panels, Saamis Solar Park will create a significant number of direct employment opportunities during the construction, operation, and decommissioning phases.
DP Energy’s development portfolio in Canada includes solar, onshore wind, storage and offshore wind projects across the country, including the 400MW Nova East Wind project, a joint venture with SBM Offshore targeted as being Canada’s first offshore wind project.
Headquartered in Cork, and operating for over 30 years, DP Energy has developed 1.6W of renewable energy generation through 22 infrastructure projects worldwide. Currently, DP Energy has a 4.5GW pipeline of renewable energy projects across Ireland, the UK, Australia and Canada. The Company is also now active in Southern Africa.
“As the largest urban solar development in North America, Saamis Solar Park is a project we are proud to have developed," said Damian Bettles, DP Energy' Head od Development Canada.
"With the sale to the City of Medicine Hat, it adds a dual aspect to the success story. Not only is it a productive use of a large area of contaminated land, it now also has the potential to contribute to the City’s energy transition to clean, renewable power.
The announcement follows DP Energy's recent EPBC approval from the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water, for the Callide Wind Farm located in Queensland, Australia, a DP Energy renewable energy project with a capacity of 430MW.
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