Port Hawkesbury Paper said that it has taken another significant step in the development process for the 112-megawatt wind farm first announced in December 2019 by directly funding the installation of two meteorological towers on the proposed project site in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia.
These two towers will collect vital wind data over the next twelve months. As part of Port Hawkesbury Paper's due diligence process, the collected data will serve to verify the wind resource over the project site and facilitate project design in terms of potential turbine distribution and arrangement.
Positive results from the due diligence process could enable construction to begin in 2022, subject to all appropriate legislative and regulatory requirements. When built, this project would be the largest wind farm in Nova Scotia and supply green power directly to Port Hawkesbury Paper. Construction of the farm would generate local employment and significant ongoing tax revenues in the province.
The towers are a critical piece of the due diligence process Port Hawkesbury Paper has been working on in collaboration with the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) to determine the proposed wind farm's financial viability. This collaboration could lead to a CIB investment in the project, subject to all standard due diligence and decision making.
Port Hawkesbury Paper is the largest industrial employer in the region and the largest energy consumer on the Nova Scotia grid, representing 10% of the province's demands. Development of the project would further enhance sustainable energy supply to Nova Scotian industry while also supporting provincial and federal environmental commitments.
TAPPI
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