Saskpower Studies Technologies To Help Meet Kyoto Agreement

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Crown utility (Province Owned) Saskpower (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) is evaluating future energy needs of the province. Saskpower installed 5.9-megawatts (MW) of wind power, repowered Queen Elizabeth Generation Station by adding six 45 MW natural gas-fired combustion turbine/generator sets for 150 MW and completing the 228 MW Cory Cogeneration Plant in 2002 to increase Saskpower's capacity to 2,880 MW.

With the implementation of the Kyoto Agreement to reduce "Greenhouse Gases" most of the 61% of Saskpower's power that is coal-fired will need to be replaced with cleaner types of generation in 2012. Saskpower has announced it is conducting studies for an additional 150 MW of wind power and is considering working with natural gas producers to utilize micro-turbine/generators to produce about 300 MW of power from gas that would normally be burn in flares. Saskpower is also considering adding generation from biomass fired plants which would use waste materials from hog farms and pulp mills. Although in the very early stages there has also been some consideration given to adding nuclear generating capability. Saskpower currently has seven hydroelectric stations that produce about 1,000 MW but at this time there are no plans to add new generation from hydroelectric plants.

SaskPower is the principal supplier of electricity in Saskatchewan. Founded as the Saskatchewan Power Commission in 1929, their mandate is to deliver safe, reliable, cost-effective power to the residents of Saskatchewan. SaskPower was created as a provincial Crown corporation in 1950 and is governed by the province's Power Corporation Act. SaskPower has an available capacity is approximately 3,100 megawatts (MW). This includes 2,880 MW of supply generated by our own facilities - three coal-fired stations, seven hydro stations and four natural gas stations - and a 25-year power purchase agreement with Meridian cogeneration at Lloydminster. Saskpower has 2,300 employees work in three business units (Power Production, Transmission and Distribution, and Customer Services), five corporate groups (Corporate and Financial Services; Corporate Information and Technology; Human Resources; Planning, Environment and Regulatory Affairs; and the President's Office) and three subsidiaries (NorthPoint Energy Solutions Inc., Power Greenhouses Inc. and SaskPower International Inc.).