SaskPower announced June 19 that PV developer Saturn Power was the successful proponent for Saskatchewan’s first utility-scale solar power project.
SaskPower and Saturn Power have signed a 20-year power purchase agreement for the 10 MW project, which will be located in the RM of Coulee, east of Swift Current. The Highfield Solar Project is expected to be in service as early as the end of 2019.
In 2015, SaskPower announced it would reduce emissions by 40 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, which will involve increasing the percentage of renewable electricity from 25 per cent of overall capacity to as much as 50 per cent. SaskPower plans to have 60 MW of solar generation by 2021. Along with open competition, this will be achieved through our customer generation programs and a partnership with the First Nations Power Authority.
Saturn Power is a renewable energy company, headquartered in Baden, Ontario. It has over 100 MWs of solar, wind, and energy storage projects in operation and under construction worldwide.
The competitive process for this project got underway in 2016. During the request for proposals process, SaskPower evaluated 16 proposals from 12 of the 34 pre-qualified proponents. SaskPower will now start preparing for the next competitive process for an additional 10 MW project, to be launched in early 2019.