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Powering a Sustainable Future for People and Planet
Electricity Canada: The Grid 2022
Sian Barraclough
Vice President, Strategy & Sustainability, Capital Power
As a team of power generation experts and innovators, Capital Power is passionately working to electrify our world reliably and affordably, all while protecting the planet for future generations. To build the carbon-neutral energy system required for our future, we are accelerating our decarbonization efforts by putting shovels in the ground today. We are helping Canada reach its Net Zero electricity grid goal by increasing efficiency and reducing emissions – with the aim to eventually mitigate them altogether from thermal baseload generation, while also expanding our renewables portfolio.
In Alberta, Capital Power is deploying game-changing technologies to decarbonize thermal power generation and move off coal sixyears ahead of the government mandate. At the Genesee Generating Station, we’re investing ~$1.2 billion to repower two of the three units to utilize best-in-class natural gas combined cycle technology and convert the supercritical unit to 100% natural gas. Construction is well underway on this project which will add 560 megawatts (MW) of net capacity, resulting in 1,360 MW of baseload generation capacity. This project will also feature a 210 MW Battery Energy Storage System to allow these high-caliber units to operate up to their baseload capacity. With an eye to the future, the new units Capital Power has invested in are hydrogen-capable and carbon capture-ready – ensuring this facility is agile and ready to apply the latest decarbonization solutions. To further reduce emissions from this facility, our innovators are developing a carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project, which could start capturing 90% of the carbon emitted from Genesee Units 1 and 2 as early as 2027. The Genesee CCS project is expected to deliver up to an additional 3 million tonnes of annual CO2 reductions. Capital Power is also collaborating with Enbridge on its proposal to develop an open access carbon hub near our Genesee facility to sequester our captured emissions.
As a leading renewable developer, we’re also adding wind and solar capacity to Alberta’s grid. In 2021, we completed the expansion of our Whitla Wind project – making it Alberta’s largest wind facility at 353 MW. Our 40.5 MW Strathmore Solar project is expected to begin operations in spring 2022 and construction is underway on our 75 MW Enchant Solar project. We have also announced plans to move forward with a 151 MW expansion of our Halkirk Wind facility in Alberta. Together, these new solar projects and wind expansion represent more than a $700 million investment in renewable energy.
Our team is passionately tackling climate change head-on, innovating baseload generation, expanding renewable capacity and collaborating with our communities to build a brighter future. We are proud to be powering a sustainable future for Canada!
This significant investment in Alberta’s energy future will result in a ~3.4 million tonnes per year reduction in GHG emissions from 2019 levels, while providing reliable and affordable power long into the future.
