ABO to seek regulatory approval for 500-MW wind farm in Alberta

Germany's ABO Wind AG has advanced plans for an 83-turbine wind farm on 17,500 acres in Western Canada with a formal application to the regional regulator.

ABO Wind's Canadian subsidiary has asked the Alberta Utilities Commission for permission to construct the Buffalo Plains Wind Farm near the village of Lomond, Alberta. The plant would operate at a proposed 500-MW capacity with 83 6.2-MW turbines with a structure height of approximately 656 feet. The regulator issued an acknowledgement of the application Jan. 13 and has scheduled a public information session Feb. 17.

The project will dwarf the nearby EDF Renewables Canada Inc. Blackspring Ridge Wind project, which is capable of delivering 300 MW from its 166 Vestas turbines. Both projects would be in Vulcan County, a virtually treeless tract of arid prairie that is just under twice the size of Rhode Island. ABO Wind expects the Buffalo Plains project to cost about C$850 million. The EDF Group unit, which owns 50% of Blackspring Ridge, said the cost of the facility was approximately C$600 million. Canadian oil and natural gas transportation company Enbridge Inc. and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board each hold a 25% stake in the project.

A sparse population, abundant vacant land and strong winds blowing off the nearby Rocky Mountains have lured wind developers to southern Alberta since the first commercial project was developed there in 1993. Vulcan County has seen a boost in tax revenue from wind and solar developers after previous oil and natural gas production income declined.

ABO has committed to contribute C$600,000 to communities around the Buffalo Plains project and C$1 million to nearby landowners over the project's expected 25-year lifespan. Vulcan County has a population of just under 4,000 and approximately half of its residents live in its namesake town. Lomond, which is approximately 25 miles east of Vulcan, has a population of 166.

ABO plans to build a substation and approximately seven to 10 miles of transmission line to connect the project to Alberta's power grid. It was awarded a contract for the project under the provincial government's Renewable Energy Program which was started by the Alberta Electric System Operator in 2016. Contract pricing in a three-round competition ranged from 3.1 Canadian cents/kWh to 4.3 Canadian cents/kWh.