The wind farm project – called the Greenwich Wind Energy Project – is a limited partnership that is jointly owned by Enbridge and RES Canada. RES Canada will construct the wind power project under contract to the partnership. Investment in the project by both parties is approximately $275 million.
The project complements Enbridge’s growing portfolio of green energy assets that include interests in wind, solar, hybrid fuel cells and waste heat recovery facilities. At 99 MW, it brings the Company’s total generating capacity (in operation and under construction) to more than 560 MW – enough to meet the energy needs of approximately 180,000 homes.
"We’re delighted to again partner with RES Canada in developing this project," said Patrick D. Daniel, President and Chief Executive Officer, Enbridge Inc. "Our investments in renewable energy align very well with our objective to profitably grow our energy infrastructure business and to deliver superior returns to shareholders. With the Greenwich Wind Energy Project, we will have interests in seven renewable power facilities, four of which are in Ontario – our Greenwich, Talbot and Ontario wind projects, and our Sarnia Solar Project. Clearly, Enbridge, Ontarians and all Canadians are benefitting from the Government of Ontario’s leadership and vision in supporting renewable energy investment in the Province."
"In addition to boosting our bottom line, renewable investments support our standing as a leading environmentally sustainable company," Mr. Daniel added. "This project represents a significant step in reaching our goal of generating a kilowatt of renewable energy for every kilowatt our operations consume."
RES Americas is a world-leading, fully-integrated renewable energy player in development, engineering, procurement and construction, and operating services. RES Americas has over 4,100 MW in construction projects, representing approximately 10 per cent of the U.S. wind energy capacity to date. Its affiliate, RES Canada, has been active since 2003, and brings RES’ 28 years of wind experience to the Canadian wind industry.
"RES Canada is pleased to participate in the further expansion of our successful partnership with Enbridge in Canada. The Greenwich project comes on the heels of a similar, successful collaboration – the Talbot Wind Energy Project – and increases the vast benefits that renewable wind energy will bring to the region," said Craig Mataczynski, President of RES Canada. "We are committed to developing and constructing innovative renewable energy projects in Canada to create a more sustainable future."
The Greenwich Wind Energy Project, is expected to reach substantial completion in late 2011 and produce enough clean wind energy to power 33,000 average Canadian homes. It will comprise 43 Siemens SWT-2.3-101 MW wind turbines and, under the terms of the agreement, will be constructed by RES Canada under a fixed price, turnkey, engineering, procurement and construction agreement. Siemens will provide operations and maintenance services for the wind turbines under a five-year, fixed-price agreement. The project will deliver energy to the Ontario Power Authority under a Renewable Energy Supply (RES) III 20-year power purchase agreement.
The Greenwich Wind Energy Project marks RES Canada’s third fully integrated Canadian wind energy project to be both developed and constructed by RES Canada. Enbridge and RES Canada expect the project will create an estimated 300 construction jobs. It will also generate revenue for businesses in the region in that Enbridge and RES Canada will spend up to $50 million in additional capital costs and more than $7 million a year in operating expenditures. The Municipality will also benefit in that it will receive approximately $72,000 in tax payments each year.
Greenwich Wind Energy Project at a glance:
Capacity peak: approx. 99 MW
Turbines: 43 Siemens SWT-2.3-101 MW wind turbines
Annual yield: approximately 300,000 MWh (corresponding to the annual consumption of around 33,000 households)
CO2 saving: approx. 106,600 tonnes per year
Enbridge Inc., a Canadian company, is a North American leader in delivering energy. As a transporter of energy, Enbridge operates, in Canada and the U.S., the world’s longest crude oil and liquids transportation system. The Company also has a growing involvement in the natural gas transmission and midstream businesses, and is expanding its interests in renewable and green energy technologies including wind and solar energy, hybrid fuel cells and carbon dioxide sequestration. As a distributor of energy, Enbridge owns and operates Canada’s largest natural gas distribution company, and provides distribution services in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and New York State. Enbridge employs approximately 6,000 people, primarily in Canada and the U.S. and was named one of Canada’s Ten Best Places to Work in 2009. Enbridge’s common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ENB.
Renewable Energy Systems Canada Inc. (RES Canada) was founded in 2003 and is based in Montreal, Quebec. RES Canada is active with the development and construction services in most Canadian provinces. It is also a member of the ‘Saint-Laurent Energies’ consortium which won 954 MW in the Hydro-Quebec 2000 MW tender in 2008. RES Canada is both a co-owner of these Quebec projects and in charge of construction.
Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES Americas) is a fully-integrated renewable energy company that develops, constructs, owns, and operates projects across the United States (US), Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. RES Americas has more than 4,100 MW of construction projects, which represent approximately 10% of the operating installed wind capacity in the US, and has over 12,500 MW in development. RES Americas’ corporate office is located in Broomfield, CO with regional offices located in Austin, TX, Portland, OR, and Minneapolis, MN.
