Homegrown wind: Canada surpasses 10 GW

September 4, 2015 | By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

One of Canada's largest wind power facilities, the 270 MW K2 Wind Power Facility is officially open for business.

Loozrboy/Wikimedia Commons

Located in the Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW) in southwestern Ontario, K2 Wind celebrated its official grand opening yesterday hosted by Samsung Renewable Energy, Capital Power Corporation, and Pattern Energy.

K2 Wind is comprised of 140 2.3 MW wind turbines and operates under a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). The commissioning of K2 Wind allowed Canada to surpass 10 GW of installed wind energy capacity -- making it the seventh country in the world to reach this level, according to the Canadian Wind Energy Association. The facility is expected to generate clean energy for approximately 100,000 Ontario homes annually.

K2 Wind has created a Community Benefits Fund Agreement with the Township of ACW to deliver approximately $15 million in funding for community initiatives over the next 20 years. This commitment to the Community Benefit Fund will enable the Township to undertake infrastructure improvement and community development projects that otherwise would have been unattainable.

K2 Wind is a good example of the positive economic impact the wind power industry has had on the Province of Ontario -- with its locally produced steel, towers, and blades -- and is a progressive step towards environmental sustainability. K2 Wind will also support local residents living near the facility through lease agreements and other benefits.

The facility's wind turbine components were manufactured in Ontario. A total of 700 turbine tower sections were produced in Windsorby CS Wind and the 420 blades were built in Tillsonburg by Siemens, directly supporting over 800 manufacturing jobs in Ontario. K2 Wind expects to have approximately 20 full-time operations and maintenance employees, along with an additional 10 seasonal positions.

While in construction, K2 Wind was one of the largest infrastructure projects in Ontario. During its 18-month construction period, the project averaged over 300 workers on site. At peak construction, more than 500 workers were employed by the project.

At the grand opening, Mike Garland, CEO of Pattern Energy thanked the community, landowners and local officials that worked on the project for their support.

"Going forward, K2 Wind will return many benefits to the community by providing ongoing funding for important community projects and initiatives at the same time helping to reduce pollution for Ontario and the globe," Garland said.

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http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/homegrown-wind-canada-surpasses-10-gw/2015-09-04