The Ocean Man First Nation agreed to purchase power from a new 100 MW solar project, among the largest in Canada.
Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI), a subsidiary of the Libra Group, announced that Saturn Power and Ocean Man First Nation have entered a power purchase agreement (PPA) for a 100 MW solar project. The project, once complete, will rank among the top ten largest solar facilities in Canada.
A partnership between Saturn Power and Ocean Man First Nation formed an entity called Iyuhána Solar for the project. The utility-scale solar facility is valued at about $200 million (CDN). It represents that largest power purchase agreement with a Canadian utility since 2015.
Under the PPA, Iyuhána Solar will construct and operate the facility, which will generate power for municipal utility SaskPower for the next 25 years. Located in the Rural Municipality of Estevan in southeast Saskatchewan, the project is large enough to power the equivalent of 25,000 homes.
As a founding partner, Ocean Man First Nation will have an ownership stake in Iyuhána Solar. Band members will also receive training in the maintenance of solar facilities and will be offered employment opportunities with the project. Additionally, partnering with two of Saskatchewan’s leading post-secondary academic institutions, Iyuhána will provide scholarships, internships, and direct research projects in clean energy to benefit the community.
“Our partnership with GSI and SaskPower will bring great opportunities for Ocean Man First Nation, including employment and revenue that will provide stability and sustainability for our Band,” said Chief Connie Big Eagle, Ocean Man First Nation. “We are proud that this project, which is able to generate clean power, will be known as Iyuhána Solar, which, in Nakotah translates to ‘everyone’ or ‘all of us.’”
This is the first of many renewable energy infrastructure projects for SaskPower, which plans to add approximately 3 GW of capacity by 2035.
“This new solar facility will play an important role in our path to net-zero by 2050 or sooner,” said Rupen Pandya, SaskPower president and chief executive officer.
Last year, GSI acquired Saturn Power’s solar and battery development portfolios, including its team of seasoned developers an a 1.4 GW pipeline of early- to late-stage solar and energy storage projects. Today, GSI has a footprint across Canada and in 12 U.S. states.
