A new solar project has been proposed for Paintearth County, and 18 registrants were able to get more information when the developer held an information session on Feb. 15.
Pace Canada Developments is proposing that a new solar project be built on the footprint of the former Paintearth Mine, ensuring the area continues contributing to power generation for years to come.
“It’s an innovative and sustainable approach to land use,” said Jon Poulin, the director of development for Pace Canada and an engineer with the project.
The project, if approved, would be built 19 kilometres north of Halkirk, on the east side of Highway 855.
According to Poulin, environmental studies are currently being finalized in the former mine site, which is also currently in the process of being reclaimed.
The reports will look at potential noise emitted from the project, as well as potential glare, though Poulin notes that the solar panels being proposed will only reflect about three per cent of the light that shines on them.
As far as noise goes, Poulin says that due to the Alberta Utilities Commission rule 12, the project can’t emit more than 40 decibels within 1.5 kilometres at night.
“The net impact is pretty minimal,” said Poulin.
“It’s the same as a typical dishwasher. We’ve never had an issue with noise on these projects.”
When it comes to cleanup costs, according to Poulin, and his colleague and co-presenter Rhonda Barron, the projects are set up in such a way that the funds required for reclaiming the project will be available by the banks within 10 years of the project being live.
Clean-up costs are built into landowner lease agreements, with landowners named as the beneficiaries, with Pace Canada investing in a cleanup fund on a per megawatt basis.
When asked about subsidies, Barron said that the project is 100 per cent funded through private investment, though the projects do receive tax credits on capital investments.
“There is no types of grants or subsidies,” said Barron.
According to Barron, the return on investment with the project, including reclamation costs, is expected to be in the neighbourhood of 10-12 per cent, will be able to power around 11,000 typical Albertan homes and decrease carbon emissions by around 58,000 tonnes per year.
When asked about the problems associated with weather, such as hail, Poulin noted that the panels being planned for the project are “surprisingly resistant.”
According to the presenters, after a hail storm, the solar panels would be inspected for damage which could impair performance, and repaired or replaced as necessary.
The proposed Mannix Mine Solar project is a 59-megawatt project covering 420 acres of land and utilizing nearly 128,500 solar panels.
If approved, the project is slated to complete the permitting processes by the end of April 2024, begin construction in the second quarter of 2024, and begin operation a year later.
Once fully operational, it is estimated that the Mannix Mine solar project would contribute around $500,000 annually to the County of Paintearth in taxes as well as create 100 temporary jobs in its construction and two full-time jobs once operational for maintenance and caretaking.