SaskPower invests to meet future needs

Supporting the diverse and growing energy needs of Saskatchewan, Canada, GE has signed two contracts at a total value of approximately $87 million with Northland Power, an independent power producer based in Toronto, to supply power generation equipment and commissioning services for two natural-gas-fired power plants.

Responding to two requests for proposals in Saskatchewan, Northland Power was recently selected by SaskPower to provide 261 megawatts MW of base load power and 87 MW of peaking power. GE will supply its 7FA heavy duty gas turbine for the North Battleford baseload power plant and two LM6000-PF aeroderivative gas turbines for the Spy Hill peaking plant.

According to local utility SaskPower, there are two primary factors causing the need for new electricity supply sources — the need to retire or life-extend select generating units and the growing demand for electricity in Saskatchewan. Based on the current projected supply gap, SaskPower will have to rebuild, replace or acquire approximately 4,100 megawatts by 2030, resulting in the need for significant new generation and transmission infrastructure.

"GE is an experienced, reliable provider who understands the technology and environmental needs of our business and is uniquely qualified to meet those needs," said John Brace, president and CEO, Northland Power. "The solutions from GE provide us with the flexibility to respond to a range of operating conditions and varying demands to help meet the power needs of Saskatchewan with efficient and reliable power."

"Canada is a key growth area due to its commitment to cleaner energy, and our project with Northland Power reinforces GE's commitment to serving the world's energy demands responsibly," said Keith Triginer, country executive — Canada for GE Energy. "The fuel and operational flexibility features of our technology will help Saskatchewan meet its environmental goals."

The LM6000-PF aeroderivative gas turbines are GE ecomagination approved. To earn ecomagination approval, a product is evaluated for its ability to significantly and measurably improve a customer's environmental and operating performance. The rigorous, multi-tiered review process is concluded with an independent, third-party audit to ensure accuracy and thorough documentation of technological performance.

Northland Power is a publicly listed Canadian developer, operator and owner of power plants. Northland has a net generating capacity of 872 MW in operation and more than 3,300 MW in construction or development.