Kitselas First Nation working on geothermal heat and power project in BC, Canada
Lakelse Lake, Terrace, British Columbia/ Canada (source: flickr/ Ryan McGilchrist, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
17 Dec 2016
The Kitselas First Nation joins the race to establish Canada's first geothermal power plant near Terrace, British Columbia, Canada together with project partner Borealis GeoPower.
There is increasing interest in geothermal energy and what it could offer to local communities in Canada. First Nations in Western Canada, particularly in British Columbia (BC) have been looking into geothermal energy utilisation for many years. In cooperation with private developer a project is being developed near Valemount in BC.
But there is more than one project that could be developed, as reported by local news in the province. The Kitselas First Nation near Terrace, BC in West-central BC is pursuing private energy purchase agreements with major project proponents. With the help of developoer Borealis GeoPower it is pursuing a partnership agreement with the province utility of B.C. Hydro.
As part of that arrangement it receives some capacity funding from the Province to help support negotiations with the utility to establish a power purchase agreement.
The potential partnership between B.C. Hydro and Kitselas First Nation will support the exploratory drilling stage for the proposed Kitselas Geothermal Power Generation Project.
The project is a being organized by Kitselas Geothermal Inc., which is the formal name of the partnership between the Kitselas Development Corporation and Borealis Geopower.
The Kitselas Development Corporation is the economic arm of the Kitselas First Nation.
The project also aims to find a buyer for thermal energy produced by the plant.
“Clean geothermal energy is a key priority for Kitselas First Nation, and the funding provided by the Province will help us garner the necessary financial assistance to support the completion of this project,” says Kitselas First Nation Chief, Joseph Bevan. “This will bring many benefits to our community. This includes long-term energy security and powerful economic benefits through power purchasing agreements,” he says.
So while there is now a new competitor in the run for establishing Canada’s first geothermal power plant, this is welcomed by all groups involved in geothermal as it could serve as a kickstart that the Canadian geothermal industry has been waiting for so long.
About the project:
The Kitselas Geothermal Project is a 15 MW hydro-thermal project currently in the midst of exploration and assessment with the intention to sell the power generation to B.C. Hydro. The consortium partners of Kitselas First Nation and Borealis GeoPower obtained the geothermal exploration permits from the BC Ministry of Energy in 2014 for almost 3,000 hectares of land.
As of 2015, we have completed the initial phase of our surface exploration program. The program has helped to highlight areas for further exploration and drilling. As the project is near BC Hydro’s Northwest Transmission Line, the facility could increase grid stability for all the developments to the North and be paid for ancillary services. There are also opportunities for related direct heat applications like greenhouses, fish farms, and heating local businesses.
Source: The Rocky Mountain Goat, Borealis GeoPower
