Jun 10 2015
Following 18 months of construction, the K2 Wind Power Facility in Ontario reached commercial operation on May 29, 2015. One of Canada's largest wind projects, the 270 megawatt (MW) facility is owned and operated by Capital Power Corporation and Capital Power LP, Samsung Renewable Energy Inc., and Pattern Energy Group LP.
Pattern Energy Group Inc. (NASDAQ: PEGI) (TSX: PEG) ("Pattern Energy") has agreed to acquire one third of the project from its affiliate Pattern Energy Group LP.
With 270 MW of capacity, K2 Wind is equal in size to the largest wind power facility in Ontario, and is expected to generate clean energy for approximately 100,000 Ontario homes annually. Located in the Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW) in southwestern Ontario, K2 Wind is comprised of 140 Siemens 2.3 MW wind turbines and operates under a 20-year PPA with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO).
"Samsung is proud to complete our third wind project under our Green Energy Investment Agreement with the government of Ontario," said Steve Cho, Vice President, Samsung C&T. "K2 Wind created an average of 300 jobs during construction, with a peak of 500 workers. Samsung and its partners are creating jobs and investing in the community which are benefiting real people in ACW and across the province."
"Along with Samsung and Capital Power, we are proud to develop one of the largest wind facilities in Canada, which was built using local workers and local materials, including turbine blades and towers manufactured in Ontario," said Mike Garland, CEO of Pattern Energy. "K2 Wind is the result of Ontario's commitment to green energy, providing the province with a strong new addition to its renewable energy fleet."
"Thank you to the community, our partners and the people involved in K2 Wind. Completing a project of this magnitude requires a great deal of coordination and teamwork," said Brian Vaasjo, President and CEO of Capital Power. "The addition of K2 Wind adds another 90 MW of owned wind capacity to our growing renewable energy portfolio."
In efforts to contribute to the community, the partners focused on hiring locally. While in construction, K2 Wind was one of the largest infrastructure projects in Ontario. During its 18-month construction period, the project averaged over 300 workers on site. At peak construction, more than 500 workers were employed by the project.
Project components were manufactured in Ontario. The project's 700 turbine tower sections were produced in Windsor by CS Wind and the 420 blades were built in Tillsonburg by Siemens directly supporting over 800 manufacturing jobs in Ontario. K2 Wind expects to have approximately 20 full-time operations and maintenance employees, along with an additional 10 seasonal positions.
K2 Wind has also created a Community Benefits Fund Agreement with the Township of ACW to deliver approximately $15 million in funding for community initiatives over the next 20 years and to support local residents living near the facility through lease agreements and other benefits.