Stillshot of City of Saskatoon Twitter video with Saskatoon Light & Power’s Kevin Hudson.
The Saskatoon Tribal Council is preparing to enter a formal agreement with the city of Saskatoon for a new hydropower generation project at the weir on the South Saskatchewan River.
The total estimated cost of the project is approximately $65.2 million, which is expected to be funded by the Saskatoon Tribal Council and private-sector partner and off-set by revenue generated by the power station as well as funding from other green-energy funding sources.
Darrell Balkwill, Chair of STC Investments Inc said First Nations can benefit from employment, training and education opportunities that extend beyond the construction phase of this project.
“We are confident that the investment returns from this project will allow us to continue to support community infrastructure and social programs in our member communities,” he said.
Depending on final design approvals, the station is expected to be able to power between 2,400 to 3,500 homes in the city each year.
Earlier pre-feasibility and environmental baseline studies concluded the project was technically feasible and could be economically viable over the long-term without any significant disruption to the ecology of the area or negative downstream effects to the river valley. The project has been on hold since last presented to Saskatoon City Council in 2015 until funding could be identified.
The project will involve restoring the weir’s current infrastructure, and the construction of a river crossing for pedestrians and cyclists that will be wider, safer and more accessible than the current one on the CP Rail Bridge.
Kevin Hudson, Manager of Sustainable Energy for the City-owned Saskatoon Light & Power, said the weir was an ideal location to expand Saskatoon’s clean energy generation program.
“The benefits of this initiative will be felt across the Saskatoon Region and we are delighted to have the Saskatoon Tribal Council as a partner to make it a reality,” he said.
The City conducted an environmental and technical study on the possibility of a hydroelectric facility back in 2009, when conditions were placed on any potential project.
There is no current timeframe on the project.