SaskPower and Deep Earth Energy Production Corp. (DEEP) have signed a power purchase agreement that will allow further research into the potential for Saskatchewan鈥檚 first geothermal power project.
鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to continue our work with DEEP to evaluate geothermal鈥檚 potential role in our power supply,鈥� said SaskPower president and CEO Mike Marsh. 鈥淐leaner electricity options are vital to Saskatchewan鈥檚 future, and geothermal power is another option to explore as we work to reach our goal of having 50 per cent of our capacity come from renewable power by 2030.鈥�
Geothermal power generation passes hot water through an exchanger, creates steam and drives a turbine to produce electricity. The signed agreement allows DEEP to continue a proof of concept study to determine the feasibility of a five megawatt project near Estevan. The proposed plant would generate renewable, zero emission, baseload power from a hot aquifer three kilometres under the Earth鈥檚 surface.
鈥淲e鈥檙e pleased to complete this agreement with SaskPower as another step towards the commencement of Canada's first geothermal power facility in southeast Saskatchewan,鈥� said Kirsten Marcia, president and CEO of DEEP who is also a former Estevan resident. 鈥淒EEP鈥檚 Saskatchewan power facility will launch a brand new clean energy sector for the country, and we anticipate significant job creation during the construction and operation of the facility. DEEP is honored to be in partnership with SaskPower and their commitment to significantly reduce provincial GHG emissions through new and innovative projects like geothermal power.鈥�
The electricity provided by the proposed plant would generate roughly the power required by 5,000 homes and offset about 40,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year 鈥� equal to taking over 8,000 cars off the roads annually.
