GHG Emissions, Commercial, Wind  -  January 6, 2025

Port Hawkesbury Paper Signs Wind PPA

The new Goose Harbour Lake Wind Farm will support Port Hawkesbury Paper's energy with 24 wind turbines capable of generating 168 megawatts of electricity.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is providing $224.2 million in loans to help Port Hawkesbury Paper Wind Ltd build a large-scale wind energy project and support 13 Mi'kmaw First Nations through Wskijinu'k Mtmo'taqnuow Agency Ltd. (WMA) buy a 10% stake in the project.

The Goose Harbour Lake Wind Farm involves construction and installation of 24 Nordex N163-7.0MW cold climate turbines at a 118-meter hub height with anti-icing system blade technology, which are capable of zero-emission, sustainable electricity generation capacity of 168 megawatts. The lead building team is RES Canada Construction LP.

The wind project will support Nova Scotia's largest industrial user of electricity, Port Hawkesbury Paper, and the provincial energy grid.

The paper mill is a significant contributor to the economic well-being of Nova Scotia and, particularly, the eastern region of the province. The mill directly employs approximately 325 people and contracts another 900 jobs, employing hundreds of forestry contractors and suppliers.

The Indigenous equity loan is the second to WMA, following a deal last year related to an energy storage project in Nova Scotia.

The wind farm is expected to reduce energy production emissions by more than 350,000 tons annually, equivalent to 2.4% of Nova Scotia's emissions in 2021, and help the province's energy transition as it moves from coal to renewables. Commercial operations of the farm are expected to begin in 2026.

“Our investment in major projects like the Goose Harbour Lake Wind Farm, as well as continued capital upgrade projects and annual major maintenance programs are examples of where we want to grow and help the facility succeed for many years to come,” said Ron Stern, president of PHP and PHPWind, in a statement. “We are excited and proud to be working with all our partners to advance this project which will not only contribute to our mission of making top quality competitive forest products, but at the same time be a great place to work and be an environmentally responsible and strong contributor to the province of Nova Scotia."