TransAlta adds 123 MW of wind energy ahead of schedule

"TransAlta is committed to growing and diversifying our generation fleet. With the successful completion of these two wind turbines facilities our wind portfolio is now 1,073 MW, which is the largest in Canada," said Steve Snyder, President and CEO. "We continue to deliver our wind power projects on time and on budget despite challenges like extreme weather."

The $135-million Ardenville Wind Farm, located about eight kilometres south of Fort Macleod, Alberta, involved the installation of 23 Vestas V90-3.0 MW wind turbines. The wind farm has an installed capacity of 69 MW and is expected to generate enough power for about 11,500 average homes.

The $102-million expansion to the Kent Hills Wind Farm, located about 33 kilometres southwest of Moncton, New Brunswick, has increased the existing generation capacity by 54 MW with the installation of 18 Vestas V90-3.0 MW wind turbines. The expansion will generate enough electricity to meet the needs of about 9,000 homes.

With farm facilities from Alberta to New Brunswick, TransAlta is Canada’s largest producer of wind power, operating more than a third of Canada’s installed 3,549 MW wind capacity. Over the last two years, TransAlta has successfully constructed three new wind farm facilities and completed expansions of two existing facilities.

TransAlta’s renewable generation portfolio now totals 2,155 MW; including 1,073 MW of wind energy, 893 MW of hydroelectric, 25 MW of biomass and 164 MW of geothermal energy in California through a partnership with CE Generation LLC.

TransAlta is a power generation and wholesale marketing company focused on creating long-term shareholder value. TransAlta maintains a low-to-moderate risk profile by operating a highly contracted portfolio of assets in Canada, the United States and Australia.

TransAlta’s focus is to efficiently operate our biomass, geothermal, wind energy, hydro, natural gas and coal facilities in order to provide our customers with a reliable, low-cost source of power. For 100 years, TransAlta has been a responsible operator and a proud contributor to the communities where we work and live. TransAlta is recognized for its leadership on sustainability by the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, the FTSE4Good Index and the Jantzi Social Index. TransAlta is Canada’s largest investor-owned renewable energy provider.

www.transalta.com