INUVIK — The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) has invested $950,000 in a study examining the feasibility of wind turbines and energy storage in Inuvik.
The Government of the Northwest Territories (NWT) Department of Infrastructure will undertake the study, which will examine the feasibility of adding one or more wind turbines to the electric grid. Inuvik currently faces high energy costs because it relies primarily on trucked-in petroleum products from southern Canada.
CanNor’s investment will focus on assisting with design, engineering and geotechnical work for the potential installation of commercial size turbines at High Point, which is 10 kilometres outside of Inuvik. CanNor will also support consultation sessions with local stakeholders including the mayor and council of Inuvik, the Gwich’in Tribal Council and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.
If the wind turbine is deemed feasible and is implemented, the power generated could displace between 18 to 28 per cent of energy currently produced via diesel, which could, according to a CanNor statement, “save approximately $1.6 million to nearly $3 million in fuel and also reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by roughly 4,000 to 7,000 tonnes annually.”
“I’m very pleased that the Government of Canada is investing in this feasibility study, which could lead to the first large-scale wind turbine above the Arctic Circle in Canada. This investment is a significant contribution to the advancement of clean technology in the North and helps to diversify the northern economy,” Northwest Territories MP Michael McLeod said in a statement.
The NWT Department of Infrastructure contributed $760,000 to the project, bringing total funding to $1.71 million.
“A large-scale wind energy project in Inuvik could result in the reduction of millions of litres of diesel fuel a year, and help fulfill one of the strategic objectives of our proposed 2030 Energy Strategy,” NWT Minister of Infrastructure Wally Schumann added.
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