New Brunswick gives green light for 500 MW gas plant
The green light comes after an environmental impact assessment and is based on a series of 45 conditions that must be met by the company building the station.
The New Brunswick government approved the construction of a 500-megawatt natural gas plant on Friday, with conditions aimed at preventing future electricity blackouts. The project, known as the Renewables Integration Grid Security project, will be built by U.S.-based ProEnergy in a rural Tantramar area. ProEnergy must meet 45 conditions before and after construction, including air and water quality monitoring, emergency management planning, and tracking impacts on wildlife.
NB Power, the province's public utility, has a 25-year contract with ProEnergy for 10 refurbished jet turbines. The plant will primarily burn natural gas sourced from the Maritimes and Northeast pipeline, but can switch to diesel if gas is unavailable. The government has limited gas usage to 17% of the time, with the turbines operating in condensing mode the rest of the time to stabilize the grid without generating excess power.
Environment Minister Gilles LePage stated the conditions address concerns from residents. ProEnergy will face consequences if it fails to meet the requirements, including timelines for fixes or shutdown. Nova Scotia's energy operator has agreed to purchase 100 megawatts of power from the plant, which is scheduled to operate by 2028.
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- New Brunswick gives green light for 500 MW gas plant globalnews.ca
- New Brunswick gives green light for 500 MW gas plant winnipegfreepress.com
