The 45 MW wind farm, initiated by La Coopérative d’Énergie Renouvelable de Lamèque, has a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with New Brunswick Power and is set for an early 2011 commissioning date. The Lamèque Wind Power Project will be Acciona Energy’s fourth wind farm in Canada.
Acciona Energy will invest approximately 115 million Canadian dollars in the Lamèque Wind Power Project. The project will consist of thirty 1.5 MW Acciona Windpower wind turbines located over 3,100 acres.
Sixty-eight landowners have signed lease agreements to participate in the development. Construction of the Lamèque Wind Power Project is expected to bring jobs and stimulate economic growth in the region.
“Bringing the Lamèque Wind Power Project to the construction stage has been a collaborative effort involving several partners, First Nations communities in New Brunswick and the support of the people of the Acadian Peninsula – this is a huge win for everyone involved,” said Dan DuBois, Chief Development Officer for Acciona Wind Energy Canada. “Acciona has remained dedicated to the Lamèque Wind Power Project and we are excited to move forward with construction.”
“New Brunswick is home to a world class wind resource and I couldn’t be happier to see the progress made today on the Lamèque Wind Power Project. We are transforming the province and our economy, and the energy sector is a key player in achieving this. Acciona Energy has been a great partner in building our renewable energy agenda, an important foundation of the New Brunswick Energy Hub,” stated New Brunswick Energy Minister Jack Keir.
“This is an important step forward in NB Power’s vision of Sustainable Electricity,” stated Gaëtan Thomas, President and CEO, NB Power. “To ensure that we have sustainable electricity we need to meet the needs of today while ensuring the future. We will achieve this through activities that balance our economic, environmental and social objectives – the three pillars of sustainability. To be successful, we know that we must seek new and innovative solutions as we work together in a collaborative effort. Ensuring that we have the right balance of renewables as a part of energy portfolio is essential.”
“The realization of this wonderful wind power project is the culmination of 11 years of work and collaboration by the Co-op, the landowners and the general community,” said Paul A. Lanteigne, President of La Coopérative d’Energie Renouvelable de Lamèque Ltée. “This project further demonstrates the tenacity of the people of the islands of Lamèque and Miscou. This project also shows that large scale projects can be made here, by people from here and that they can be an important economic input for our community.”
“The Mi’gmag First Nations of New Brunswick welcome sustainable development such as the Lamèque renewable energy project, and are pleased that Acciona Wind Energy Canada has worked with them to ensure that the project will protect the environment and provide benefits to First Nations,” said Chief David Peter-Paul of Pabineau First Nation. “We believe that companies who are willing to engage with us in good faith should also benefit from access to our traditional lands and resources. We are following the lead of our ancestors by welcoming people to our Traditional Lands and seeking mutually beneficial agreements.” Pabineau and Esgenoopetitj First Nations are the closest Aboriginal communities to the Project site.
Final preparation for construction is currently underway, with the initial groundbreaking to take place in early August 2010. Construction is set to be completed in early 2011, when the Lamèque Wind Power Project will be commissioned and begin producing energy.
Assets in Canada
Acciona Energy has already installed and operates 136 MW in three wind farms in Canada with local partners Suncor and Enbridge. Two of these farms – Magrath and Chin Chute (each with a capacity of 30 MW) – are located in Alberta, and the third – Ripley (76 MW) – is in Ontario. When the Lameque Wind Power Project is connected to the grid, the total capacity installed by Acciona Energy in Canada will increase to 181 MW.
Acciona is also present in Canada in the infrastructures business, where it has four projects that have been developed in PPP (public-private partnership): two toll highways (the Southeast Stoney Trail, in Calgary, and the New Autoroute 30 Châteauguay – Vaudreuil-Dorion in Quebec) and two hospitals (Fort St. John, in British Columbia, and Royal Jubilee, in Victoria).
Acciona Energy is a global clean-tech operator backed by more than 20 years of experience and a leading presence in seven renewables technologies. It has installed more than 9,000 MW of electricity generation in 14 countries: 7,337 MW are proprietary. The Company has 213 wind farms (6,230 MW); 80 hydroelectric power stations (911 MW); a number of solar thermal (Concentrating Solar Power, CSP) and PV plants that rank among the biggest in the world, and biomass-fired power plants.
Acciona Energy manufactures wind turbine generators and has biodiesel and bioethanol production units. The Company, which develops proprietary projects as well as projects for clients, is to be found across the entire value chain, produces and markets renewables-based energy and delivers a broad range of services for clients within this sector, as part of a staunch commitment to innovation.
Acciona Energy is part of the Acciona Group, one of Spain’s leading business corporations. Acciona operates in infrastructure, energy, water treatment and services in more than thirty countries on the five continents. Its corporate motto, “Pioneers in Sustainable Development”, reflects the Company’s commitment to contributing to economic growth, social progress and environmental balance. Acciona is sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and posted revenues of more than €6.5 billion in 2009. The Company has a workforce of more than 30,000 and is quoted on the IBEX 35 blue chip index (ANA.MC).
