The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Residents of southern Manitoba's St. Leon district can look forward to the establishment of one of Canada's largest wind farm projects, Energy, Science and Technology Minister Dave Chomiak said at an official sod-turning ceremony yesterday. Chomiak, Dave Kerr from AirSource Power Fund and Ruth Kristjanson from Manitoba Hydro were among those attending the sod-turning for the $187-million project involving up to 50 local owners and 65 square kilometres of land. "Today marks the beginning of a significant and innovative clean energy endeavour for rural Manitoba," said Chomiak. "We are not only breaking new ground for the construction of over 60 wind turbine generators in southern Manitoba but we are also charting new territory in Canada with this collaborative partnership to harvest the world's fastest-growing energy source." Chomiak said that phase one of the project will include completing the construction of 12 turbines by next May with the remainder to follow by the end of 2005. For more than two years, wind conditions around St. Leon were monitored by technicians and identified as a world-class wind source location. "On behalf of AirSource Power I am excited to be here today and see this project move ahead," said Kerr. "I congratulate the community of St. Leon and the province of Manitoba for their support and enthusiasm which will contribute greatly to the wind farm's overall success." The St. Leon Wind Energy Project site is located 150 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, covering both the RM's of Lorne and Pembina. The 99-MW project will consist of 63 Vestas V82 wind turbine generators supported by 80-metre towers each having a base four metres in diameter. Also among the turbine's main components are three blades stretching 40 metres in length each, approximately equivalent to the height of a large grain elevator. Turbines, access roads and any related equipment will occupy less than five per cent of the wind farm area with the remainder of land being available for agricultural use. See 'Manitoba's' P.# Con't from P.# "I would like to take this opportunity to applaud AirSource for their vision," said Bob Brennan, CEO of Manitoba Hydro. "And I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of those at Manitoba Hydro, at the province and within the RM's of Lorne and Pembina, who worked to make this wind farm a part of Manitoba's future." Chomiak noted the project is expected to generate 300 direct or indirect jobs, provide $9 million in revenue to local landowners over the next 25 years, will result in over $100 million in operating expenditures and may include a tourist component in the future. Wind Facts Global Perspective The global wind industry increased by over 8,000 megawatts (MW) in 2003 and generating capacity is over 39,000 MW. Wind is the fastest growing source of electricity in the world, with growth averaging roughly 25 to 30 per cent over the past five years. Most of the installed capacity is in Germany, Spain and Denmark but North America is expected to witness significant growth. Canada has an installed base of 439 MW and has about 50,000 MW of developable wind resource - enough to supply 20 per cent of Canada's electricity supply. The U.S. nearly doubled its capacity in the last two years and currently has 6,374 MW installed capacity or about 16 per cent of the global capacity. Improvements in technology and larger turbines are driving costs down, allowing wind generation to penetrate new markets. Why Wind in Manitoba? Manitoba possesses a number of fundamentals that support large-scale wind farm development. These advantages include: Southwest Manitoba has a world-class wind regime that makes wind projects commercially viable and competitive with hydrogeneration. Virtually all of the province's electricity is generated by water. A hydraulic system can store energy in reservoirs when the wind is blowing and release water to generate electricity when the wind is calm. Manitoba has accessible transmission so the power can be sent to markets when it is needed. The land and terrain in southwestern Manitoba lend themselves to large-scale wind farm development. Turbines complement the farming community because they only occupy a small footprint of land. Wind turbines provide landholders an additional source of income. Wind turbines also provide municipalities an additional source of revenue. Wind generated electricity provides diversity to our renewable energy mix.
