Black & Veatch’s work on the Sarnia Solar Project for Enbridge, Inc. has come to a close as the 80-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant, the largest in the world, went into commercial operation in early October. Black & Veatch served as independent and owner’s engineer on the project located in Ontario, Canada.
“This is a groundbreaking project,” said Judy McArdle, Project Manager and Principal Consultant for Black & Veatch’s management consulting business. Black & Veatch’s responsibilities included design and engineering review, solar production estimate development, support for contract negotiation, construction monitoring, and assistance with commissioning and testing.
The effort involved multiple divisions and offices of the company, said Dean Gurthie, Electrical/Control Chief engineer in the Ann Arbor, Mich. office for Black & Veatch’s global energy business. The plant covers 950 acres and includes 1.3 million solar modules. It will supply 13,000 homes with 120,000 megawatt hours a year.
The Sarnia project was named Renewable Energy World Utility Scale Renewable Project of the Year in 2009 by Renewable Energy World North America, a major renewable energy conference.
— Rudden’s Energy Capital Markets Report, published by Black & Veatch, December 6 2010.