Initial ground work and construction is now underway for the Pesâkâstêw Solar Project in the RM of Weyburn, southwest of the city.
The Pesâkâstêw Solar Project is a 10 MW solar farm in development about four km southwest of the city of Weyburn on land with low environmental sensitivity. The project is set to be operational by the end of 2021, supplying clean energy to the Saskatchewan electrical grid.
This project will require approximately 93.26 acres (37.74 ha) of land and will connect directly to the SaskPower substation adjacent to the site. The project will be able to provide electricity to about 3,367 homes and, in doing so, will displace between 15,246-18,150 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually.
The estimated time-line is for the earth-moving and road construction to take place in May and June, with electrical works to go in around August, and the trackers and module installations will take place from July to October, with commissioning slated for November or December of this year.
With the best solar resource in Canada, Saskatchewan is well-positioned for solar projects to make significant contributions to achieving the 50 per cent renewable electricity by 2030 target set by the province. In particular, the RM of Weyburn, being located in the south, has some of the highest solar potential in the province.
The project is being developed by Natural Forces on behalf of Pesâkâstêw Solar Limited Partnership who is proposing and own the Pesâkâstêw Solar Project.
The Pesâkâstêw Solar Limited Partnership is a partnership between George Gordon Developments Ltd., Red Dog Holdings Ltd. and Natural Forces.
The Pesâkâstêw Solar Limited Partnership came to fruition through the First Nations Power Authority (FNPA). As all three entities were members of the FNPA, the organization facilitated introductions between George Gordon First Nation, Star Blanket Cree Nation, and Natural Forces.
