St. Joseph Wind Farm (french: Parc éolien de Saint-Joseph) is a wind energy power plant in southern Manitoba, Canada. It has 60 turbines with a total rating of 138 megawatts. First proposed in 2007, the turbines started operation in early 2011. The investment in the plant was C$355 million by the San Francisco-based
Pattern Energy Group, with a part loan from
Manitoba Hydro
The Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board, operating as Manitoba Hydro, is the electric power and natural gas utility in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1961, it is a provincial Crown Corporation, governed by the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Boa ...
. The project had been initially planned at 300 MW capacity but was downsized due to economic conditions in 2008.
The power plant uses 60
Siemens Wind Power
Siemens AG ( ) is a German Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal ...
2.3 megawatt turbines, model SW2.3-101; these were the first turbines sold by Siemens in Canada. The plant covers about 125 square kilometres west of Highway 75, around the community of
St. Joseph, Manitoba. Energy is sold to Manitoba Hydro through a 27-year purchase agreement.
Pattern Energy: Our Business: Projects: St. Joseph / Manitoba
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Other communities in the surrounding area include St. Jean-Baptiste, Altona, Dominion City
Dominion City is an unincorporated community in the Municipality of Emerson – Franklin, Manitoba Canada. It is located in southeastern part of the province, approximately north of the Canada–United States border.
Dominion City is served b ...
, Emerson, Gretna, Letellier, and Morris
Morris may refer to:
Places
Australia
*St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia
Canada
* Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry
* Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba
** Morris, Manitob ...
.
The site was first planned for 200 GE 1.5 turbines.
An addendum to the St. Joseph Environment Act Proposal was filed June 2009. The primary change is the switch from GE 1.5 MW turbines to Siemens 2.3 MW turbines, reducing the number of turbines from 200 to 130
(http://manitobawildlands.org/develop_hydro.htm)
Before Siemens was chosen with the turbines Mitsubishi was also a candidate for supplying turbines.
See also
* St. Leon Wind Farm
References
External links
Manitoba Conservation Public Registry -St. Josepfh Wind Energy ProjectMap of St. Joseph Wind Farm
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Joseph Wind Farm
Wind farms in Manitoba
Economy of Manitoba