ABOUT THE STIRLING WIND PROJECT

The Stirling Wind Project (SWP) began development in 2007 and it is located five kilometres northeast of the Village of Stirling. The SWP received an Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) approval for the 113-megawatt (MW) wind power plant, and a permit and licence for the substation in April 2019. Stirling Renewable Energy LP (SRELP) is currently preparing to submit a Letter of Enquiry (LOE) to the AUC for the SWP, which will address the recent changes made to the project, including having selected a new turbine manufacturer and model and splitting the project into two phases.

The SWP is being split into two phases because of the recent turbine model change. The larger nameplate capacity of the new turbine model, Siemens 5.0MW, means that fewer turbines are required to meet the 113MW for the SWP. As a result, 5 of the SWP turbines will be built as a second phase (SWP II) to the project (up to 26 MW). While the total combined nameplate capacity of the SWP and SWP II will be higher, the two projects combined will have the same number of turbines (28) currently approved by the AUC for the SWP.

The SWP will develop 23 turbines and the SWP II will develop 5 turbines. The turbine locations for both phases remain within 50 metres of the currently approved project. Layout map of the SWP and the SWP II are available in the Spring 2021 Newsletter. The nameplate capacity of the SWP will be 113 MW and the SWP II will be up to 26 MW. The SWP II is currently proceeding through the AESO interconnection process, which will determine the feasibility and final generation capacity of the project.

In additions to the turbines, the SWP and SWP II will involve installation of an electrical collection system, access roads and the construction of a new collector substation (the Red Coat Substation), and Operations and Maintenance building, and laydown areas. The turbines will be connected to the Red Coat Substation through 34.5 kilovolt (kV) underground collector lines. New turbine access roads will be constructed, and some existing roads will be upgraded for transporting materials for turbine assembly during the construction phase and to access turbines during operations for regular maintenance activities. The SWP will connect to Alberta’s electric grid through an existing 138kV transmission line located west of the project, which is owned by ATCO Electric Ltd., and more details on the SWP II connection will be provided in the future.

The SRELP has engaged local landowners and stakeholders through the SWP’s development process, and we will continue to do so in a way that respects the community member’s needs. We expect that the SWP will benefit the local community in a variety of ways, including creating contract opportunities for local businesses; increasing local spending on goods and services during the development, construction and operational phases; increasing County tax revenues; and providing funding for the surrounding community through a Community Development Fund (CDF). Information on the CDF is available in the latest Summer 2021 newsletter and additional information is coming soon!

Construction of the SWP is anticipated to begin in Q2 2022 and construction of the SWP II is anticipated to begin in Q2 2023. Commercial operation is anticipated to begin in Q4 2023 for the SWP and the SWP II.