Proposed battery storage facility near Frank Lake

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A Calgary-based company is proposing to build a battery storage facility near High River, but nearby residents say the project should be rejected by the government. Alberta Public Utilities Commission (AUC) due to its proximity to a wetland recognized as an Important Bird Area.

Enfinite plans to submit a proposal this spring to the AUC for a 100-megawatt facility on land near Frank Lake, east of High River. The lithium phosphate batteries would be contained in 105 marine cans, and the facility would have a total area of ​​four hectares.

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Taylor Smith, vice president of corporate strategy at Enfinite, says Alberta’s need for more energy storage was Featured in Januarywhen the province faced network alerts and the Alberta Electrical Systems Operator urged Albertans to stay in power.

“This facility would act as a contingency to help in the event of sudden loss of supply,” he said. Blacksmith.

The key to the proposed location is the proximity of a substation about a kilometer away, he said. The first location Enfinite analyzed would have required an additional 15 kilometers of transmission line.

“We want to minimize the amount of transmission line that would have been added,” said Smith, who declined to disclose the project.

While some energy storage projects are also built in conjunction with solar panels or wind turbines, this installation would not include either.

To help prevent groundwater leaks, beneath the marine cans would be a gravel pad and containment units, which can hold 1.5 times the amount of liquid inside a battery.

Enfinite, which currently has nine energy storage facilities in Alberta totaling 180 megawatts, will submit extensive environmental studies as part of its application to the Alberta Public Utilities Commission, Smith said.

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Smith says Enfinite’s consultations have gone beyond what is required by the AUC, which requires that any resident living within a half-mile radius of the facility be notified. The company appeared before the Foothills County Council and held meetings with county staff, was “pretty active” in answering questions from local residents and recently held an open house at the request of the public, he said.

“We look forward to working to provide more information about the facility and, if the project goes ahead, working with them to be a good corporate neighbor and provide reassurance that the facility will not have any adverse impact on nearby residents or the surrounding environment. the one who operates,” Smith said.

Amy Marcotte, who has started a Facebook group opposing the battery storage facility, said her main concern is how close the proposed project would be to Frank Lake, recognized as one of Canada’s Important Bird Areas, as well as one of the country’s Key Biodiversity Areas.

“Battery storage has as many risks, if not more, than a solar project, and they want it right next to this area. This is unacceptable and is fueling the anger of rural citizens with these types of projects, whether solar, wind or batteries,” Marcotte said in an email to Postmedia. “These companies just come in and don’t listen and just do what they want, all for money.”

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Marcotte said she was also involved in stopping construction of a proposed 600-hectare solar project in the High River area. Last year, the Alberta Public Service Commission rejected the Foothills Solar Project, citing potential negative effects on bird populations.

Any company planning to build an industrial project, as Marcotte called the battery storage facility, “correctly In addition to this sensitive and internationally recognized beauty, she will have a fight with us,” said Marcotte, a resident of Blackie, a village east of High River.

A spokesperson for Ducks Unlimited Canada, which is involved in conservation management of Frank Lake, told Postmedia that the wetland protection group is aware of the battery storage project, but that it would be “premature” to comment because Ducks Unlimited is still you have not seen detailed information. environmental plans or evaluations.

Frank Lake provides valuable wildlife habitat and “recreational value” to the surrounding community, tDucks Unlimited spokesperson in an email.

According to the IBA Canada website, Frank Lake supports significant numbers of waterfowl and shorebirds during spring and fall migration, and is considered southwestern Alberta’s most important wetland for waterfowl breeding.

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