In 2010, we made our first investment in wind energy: a partnership with Suncor in the Wintering Hills (WH) wind project near Drumheller, Alberta.
This provides us with the opportunity to develop our understanding of wind power generation and evaluate other opportunities to develop wind farms around our operations – largely because we work in some windy places!
The 88 megawatt (MW) wind power project comprises 55 1.6 MW turbines. At peak operation, WH is expected to generate enough clean electricity to power approximately 35,000 Alberta homes, displacing the equivalent of approximately 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
Teck’s share of the energy generated, some 90,000 megawatt hours per year, represents more than 1.5 times the annual power consumption of our Cardinal River Operations and, as a source of clean energy, the project will receive carbon credits to offset emissions from Cardinal River. We expect our total investment in connection with the project to be approximately $66 million.
Our partner, Suncor, has experience in wind power, and WH represents its fifth and largest wind project to date. “The Wintering Hills project is a good opportunity for Teck because it allows us to explore the many facets of clean energy production and gain a full understanding of the technical, social and business opportunities and challenges in this area,” says John Thompson, Vice President of Technology and Development. “Suncor has extensive experience with wind farms, so they’re a natural partner for this venture.”
Our investment in Wintering Hills supports our commitment to increasing the use of renewable energy in our operations, and our vision of contributing to the sustainable production and use of energy.
This case study was originally published in our 2010 Sustainability Report.
