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Canadian government provides $25.6m in funds to Saskatchewan geothermal project

Canadian government provides $25.6m in funds to Saskatchewan geothermal project Drilling rig on site of geothermal project, Saskatchewan/ Canada (source: DEEP Corp.)
Alexander Richter 11 Jan 2019

The Federal Government of Canada has announced today that it will provide funding of CAD 25.6 million to the geothermal power project being developed by DEEP Earth Energy Production in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada.

During a trip to Regina in the Province of Saskatchewan, Canada, the country’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government will provide funding of CAD 25.6 million (USD 18.8m) for the geothermal project currently under development in the province.

DEEP’s geothermal facility will build on Saskatchewan’s leadership in the energy sector, using familiar drilling technologies from the oil, gas, and mining industries to tap into this reliable energy source.

The project, that started drilling in November 2018, is planned as a 5 MW project, which will produce enough energy to power approximately 5,000 homes all while taking the equivalent of the yearly emissions of 7,400 cars out of the atmosphere. The project will create 100 jobs during construction, provide the provincial power grid with clean, renewable energy, and create new business opportunities for local communities.

“Today’s announcement is an investment in the future of Saskatchewan, and all our children. DEEP’s project has the potential to transform how the province and the country produces energy, while creating good, middle class jobs for Canadians. This is another example of how we’re taking action to fight climate change today while strengthening our communities for tomorrow.” – The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

The Estevan-area energy project is the first of its kind in Canada and “taps into a new renewable energy resource,” the government says. It is led by DEEP Earth Energy Production Corporation, a Saskatchewan privately-held corporation that, according to its website, has a mission to develop Saskatchewan’s geothermal resources for power generation with a vision is to be a producer of secure, stable and sustainable energy.

Trudeau announced the funding in a news conference at the Subsurface Geological Laboratory in Regina.

  • Funding for this project is being provided through Natural Resources Canada’s Emerging Renewable Power Program. In 2014, Natural Resources Canada contributed $1 million through its ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative for a pre-feasibility study for this project. Natural Resource Canada’s Clean Energy Innovation Program and Innovation Saskatchewan also contributed $350,000 and $175,000, respectively, towards test drilling. The total cost of the project is $51.3 million.
  • The local community will channel excess heat from the facility to a 45-acre greenhouse for commercial use. Sustainable, affordable clean heating for major commercial greenhouses present new opportunities for the Saskatchewan agricultural sector.
  • The project will pave the way for additional investment in the Williston Basin, which has the capacity to support several hundred MWe of power generating capacity.

Source: Press Release by the Prime Minister’s Office