A joint venture of UK-based Aura Power and Germany’s ib vogt, along with the Canadian development arm of France’s Neoen, have recently submitted applications with the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to construct three projects with a 425MW/1,250MWh cumulative battery storage capacity.
The Canadian prairie province appears to be experiencing somewhat of a surge in applications for new renewable projects, following the end of a 7-month moratorium on new 1MW+ green-energy developments that was lifted during the first quarter of this year.
Public consultation prior to formal application
Developers wanting to construct and operate renewable energy facilities in Alberta must receive approval to do so from the AUC adhering to the provincial regulator’s review process (Rule 007).
Prior to submitting a formal application with the AUC, developers are required to carry out a public involvement programme (PIP) with potentially affected stakeholders and indigenous communities to ascertain any potential issues with the new development. As part of the PIP, these issues must be addressed, and if possible, resolved.
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Following this, the developer can submit a formal application with the AUC, outlining general details of the proposed development along with any outcomes from its PIP.
The AUC will then hold a public comment period on the application, giving the public a further opportunity to raise any concerns surrounding the development. The AUC, along with the developer, will attempt to address these concerns before escalating issues further.
However, if an agreement can’t be reached, the AUC will hold a public hearing. This is an opportunity for affected stakeholders to present evidence opposing/supporting the project, and for the developer to present its case. At the close of the public hearing, the AUC will have up to 90 days to issue its final decision on the proposed development.
UK and German IPPs to develop 800MWh lithium-ion BESS
On 10 October 2024, SABR Energy Consulting submitted a formal application with the AUC seeking permission to construct a 200MW/800MWh standalone BESS known as the Rosyth Battery Storage project.
The consulting firm lodged the application on behalf of Aura Power Renewables Ltd. – a joint venture made up of independent power producers (IPPs) Aura Power Developments Ltd. and ib vogt GmbH.
Berlin-headquartered ib vogt is best known for its utility-scale solar installations around the globe, although the company has begun to also branch out into energy storage. This includes the development of a 50MW/50MWh BESS located in Finland that it sold to investment firm Renewable Power Capital (RPC) in March 2024, as reported by Energy-Storage.news.
The JVs Rosyth project will be located on a 20-acre site approximately 6.5km southeast of the Town of Hardisty in Flagstaff County near the Saskatchewan border.
Aura Power and ib vogt have submitted an interconnection request for 200MW of battery storage capacity connecting to the Alberta Interconnected Electric System (AIES) grid via AltaLink’s Nilrem substation (queue number P2790). The AIES grid is overseen by the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) which is responsible for the everyday operation of the power grid.
Construction is expected to commence in March 2026, with commercial operations scheduled for November 2026.
Neoen plans 225MW/450MWh of BESS at co-located PV projects
Also in the last month, Neoen lodged applications with the AUC to construct two hybrid solar and BESS facilities in Alberta known as the Sweetgrass and Jumbo Solar and Storage projects.
The larger of the two projects – Sweetgrass Solar and Storage – will comprise an up to 400MWac solar farm paired with a 150MW/300MWh BESS located approximately 4.6km east of the Hamlet of Granum across 1,635 acres of privately-owned land.
The smaller Jumbo Solar and Storage project will be made up of a 200MWac solar farm co-located with a 75MW/150MWh BESS on a 787-acre site located approximately 1.6 kilometres (km) southwest of the Town of Fort Macleod.
Both projects will connect to the AIES electricity system via AtlaLink-owned 240kV grid infrastructure. Specifically, Sweetgrass will connect via transmission line 1038L and Jumbo via transmission line 1037L, for which Neoen is seeking interconnection agreement for both projects (queue numbers P2619 and P2616, respectively).
Neoen is targeting an in-service date for both projects during the second half of 2028.
Alberta’s renewable energy growth
Alberta, known traditionally in the energy space for its oil and gas production, has also been at the centre of Canada’s recent growing renewable energy industry. According to the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA), Alberta was home to 92% of new wind, solar and energy storage capacity connected to the grid in Canada during 2023.
However, of Alberta’s new 2.2GW renewable capacity installed during 2023, energy storage accounted for only 130MW of this total. Of this cumulative energy storage total, utility-scale energy storage developer Enfinite was responsible for 100MW.
The Calgary, Alberta-based company completed the installation of its eReserve portfolio of projects during December 2023, as reported by Energy-Storage.news.
