Pace Canada Development LP has proposed a new 59-megawatt (MW) solar farm in Paintearth County.
According to a Jan. 24 media release, the company intends to build the facility, if approved by regulators, on the footprint of the Paintearth Mine, which is currently being reclaimed.
The former mine was operated by Prairie Mines and Royalty and owned by Westmoreland. It operated from 1954 until June 2021, at which point the Battle River Power Plant was converted to natural gas.
Reclamation is expected to be complete on the site by 2026.
The proposed project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by nearly 58,000 tonnes annually, and over 1.5 million tonnes over the anticipated 30-year life of the project.
“A solar farm on a former land mine is an excellent opportunity for owners of
former land mines to turn unproductive liabilities into a profitable asset,” said Claude Mindorff, Pace Canada’s director of development.
“It gets us away from the land use conflicts we see emerging around solar farm developments in Alberta. It’s an innovative, sustainable win-win situation.”
The proposed project is called Project Mannix Mine, in reference to the nearby located substation.
According to the release, the project will generate enough electricity to power over 11,000 homes once operational, while “significantly” contributing to the County of Paintearth’s tax base.
For more information about the project, contact Pace Canada’s project and communications coordinator, Rhonda Barron, by email at rhonda.barron@pathfinderce.com or by telephone at 587-869-0772.
Pace Canada will be hosting a virtual town hall on Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m. To register, visit mannixminesolar.ca.