From pv magazine Global
A 2.85 MW solar power plant combined with battery energy storage is set to be built in Watson Lake, a town in Yukon, Canada‘s westernmost territory.
Groundbreaking of the Sādę Solar Initiative took place earlier last week. The project will see the solar-plus-storage array connected to Watson Lake’s existing microgrid, which is currently powered by diesel generators.
According to a statement from the Canadian government, the solar energy produced will replace around one quarter of the diesel-generated power in Watson Lake. Once running at full capacity, the plant is expected to provide more energy than peak loads, allowing for full generator off time.
The plant will be located within the asserted traditional territory of the Liard First Nation (LFN). The project is forecast to bring economic benefits to the Indigenous community by permitting them to sell surplus power to the grid operator while creating jobs and training opportunities.
The initiative is receiving more than CAD 28.6 million ($20.8 million) from Canada’s federal government, the Government of Yukon and First Kaska Utilities LP, a local LFN economic development corporation.
Brendan Hanley, Member of Parliament for the Yukon, said the initiative “will help northern communities become more sustainable and affordable places to live, while ensuring reliable energy is available for years to come.”
Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Tim Hodgson, added that the project is the largest solar Indigenous-led energy project in the Canadian North.
Progress with the Sādę Solar Initiative follows the groundbreaking of Canada’s largest off-grid solar project to date last week. The Anahim Lake Solar Farm in British Columbia will provide the Ulkatcho First Nation with renewable energy, reducing the remote community’s use of diesel for electricity generation by almost two-thirds.
Canada installed 314 MW of solar in 2024, bringing its cumulative installed PV capacity to more than 5 GW.
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