Pattern Energy Completes Largest Single-Phase Wind Project in Canada

Pattern Energy has announced the completion of the 300 MW Henvey Inlet Wind power facility in Canada.

Pattern Energy and Nigig Power Corporation have announced the completion of the 300-megawatt (MW) Henvey Inlet Wind power facility in Ontario, Canada.

Pattern Development and Nigig Power Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Henvey Inlet First Nation, are joint venture partners in the facility, which is located on Henvey Inlet First Nation Reserve No. 2, on the northeast shore of the Georgian Bay.

This project is a first on many fronts: largest single-phase wind facility in Canada, largest on-reserve wind installation in the country, and the first to develop a First Nation Environmental Stewardship Regime under the First Nations Lands Management Act, according to Mike Garland, CEO of Pattern Development.

“Renewables are helping to reduce the impact on our environment caused by climate change and this new facility is now generating clean, homegrown energy for 100,000 homes each year without any harmful emissions,” Garland said.

The project utilises 87 Vestas 3.45 MW turbines with a 136-meter rotor diameter and 132-meter hub height. A 114-kilometers transmission line delivers electricity generated by the facility to the Ontario electricity grid. It also has a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) for 100 percent of its production.

“Now that construction is complete, we can begin to look forward to economic independence as a community,” said Greg Newton, CEO of Nigig Power Corporation. “Our youth will see an even brighter future from expanding health and education services along with increased infrastructure.”

The wind farm’s completion marks a historic moment for Henvey Inlet First Nation, said Chief Wayne McQuabbie of Henvey Inlet First Nation. “New infrastructure is underway in the First Nation as a result of this new facility and we see better days ahead. As Anishinabek, we are proud to contribute to a green economy and are proactively moving forward in a time of climate change.”