A new natural gas fired power plant project has been proposed for the very far northeast edge of Clearwater County.
Since late summer, Kiwetinohk Energy Corporation (KEC) has been meeting with stakeholders near the proposed site of the Flipi Gas Fire Generation Project. Currently, the proposed site is at the corner of Range Rd. 4-3 and Township Rd. 420, north of Gimlet and west of Leedale.
The site was identified as ideal, since it’s near a significant sweet gas supply, is near major roads, and a landowner who is approving of the project.
In an e-mailed statement to 94.5 Rewind Radio News, a spokesperson says the project will provide significant tax revenues to the county, create a number of well paid jobs, and potentially attract data centres to the area who would employ many more people and invest significant capital in the area, further increasing the tax base.
The project will consist of one natural gas fired combustion turbine, one steam turbine, one carbon capture package, one CO2 compression and dehydration package, one new 240 kilovolt (kV) substation (consisting of one 500 MVA main power transformer) and a control building.
A CO2 compression and dehydration package were originally proposed, but in an information package sent out in November, KEC indicated it was not going to apply for this portion of the project, saying the design has not progressed enough to respond to in-depth stakeholder inquiries.
The CO2 capture plant was originally projected to be 5 acres in size, and would have captured 95 per cent of CO2 from emissions.
Officials say the project may also include standby diesel generator (approximately 3 MW). The project is said to be capable of exporting 460 MW to the Alberta electricity grid— enough to power approximately 400,000 homes.
Proposed location for Flipi Gas Fired Generation Plant Project. (Kiwetinohk Energy Corporation)
In an information package sent to area residents, KEC says the provincial government has established a target of at least 30 per cent of the electric energy produced in Alberta, (measured on an annual basis), will be produced from renewable energy resources by the end of 2030.
It adds, while several renewable energy projects are underway to meet this target, other sources of reliable and clean baseload electricity are needed to support the province’s future energy requirements. Natural gas is one of the most affordable, reliable energy resources and Alberta has an abundance of it, says the information package.
KEC claims, subject to regulatory approvals, the proposed power plant would be the highest efficiency and lowest emission natural gas-fired power plant in Alberta once built.
Among the approvals, KEC would have to go through a land use bylaw amendment application, which would require a public hearing, explained Clearwater County CAO Rick Emmons.
Emmons adds it’s indeed early in the application process, with limited communication between the county and KEC.
Feedback collected from area residents raised concerns about construction noise, light from stacks on the site, and the proposed location.
Residents were assured in a report that construction noise would be kept to a minimum, as KEC would have to adhere to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC). The AUC levies regulations such as limiting construction activity between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., and requiring that residents are given a heads-up if there were any extenuating circumstances where there were to be excessive noise, and ensuring all internal combustion engines are well maintained with muffler systems where possible.
KEC officials say it intends to file a power plant application with the AUC in December 2024.
Pending regulatory approvals, KEC officials say construction will start on the project in mid-2027, with an in service date projected for late 2029.
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