Canadian officials said Sept. 27 that BC Hydro has completed an innovative, 1-MW battery storage project.
David Wilks, Member of Parliament for Kootenay-Columbia, on behalf of Joe Oliver, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, attended a Sept. 27 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the project.
“Our government is supporting innovative projects across the country and positioning Canada at the forefront of clean energy technology,” said Wilks. “Projects like this not only support high-quality jobs but also demonstrate how we can use renewable energy sources to help protect the environment.”
The Canadian government’s Clean Energy Fund and BC Hydro each provided C$6.5m for this new 1-MW battery unit. This facility is the first of its kind in Canada and will help provide a reliable supply of energy to the community of Field. The unit will store clean energy produced by BC Hydro that can be used to help meet the area’s electricity needs in the event of a power outage and reduce system load during peak demand periods. This reduces the costs and environmental impact compared with other options such as diesel-generated power.
“The completion of this project means people living in Field now have a clean source of reliable back-up power. It will also give us an opportunity to share our knowledge with other utilities in the country who face the same challenges,” added Greg Reimer, Executive Vice-President of Transmission and Distribution, BC Hydro. “I would like to recognize Parks Canada for their generosity in providing us the space for this new unit as well as their cooperation and support throughout the project.”
