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Wind Power News: New Brunswick
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
J.D. Irving presents wind farm plans to rowdy public meeting
Residents had their first chance to speak face to face with J.D. Irving project leads about the Brighton Wind Farm in a meeting that devolved into a disorderly spectacle with audience members shouting over and heckling company experts trying to answer their questions. The $550-million project, financed solely by JDI, would be the largest in the province, with 58 wind turbines, slightly larger than the Kent Hills Wind Farm outside Moncton. JDI plans to break ground next year, and power . . . Complete story »
WorkSafe investigating after death at turbine project near Sussex
WorkSafeNB is investigating after a person died Thursday at a construction site for a turbine project east of Sussex. A subcontractor working on the Neweg Energy Project, 29 kilometres east of Sussex, died following an incident on July 18, according to Amy Pellerin of Natural Forces, a Halifax-based private power company. Construction work on the six-turbine project was halted immediately and reopened Monday following approval from WorkSafeNB, Pellerin said Monday. “Neweg Energy Limited Partnership was made aware of the terrible . . . Complete story »
Worker dies at Sussex-area wind farm development
One person has died following a workplace incident at the site of a wind energy project under development near Sussex. First responders were called to the site of the Neweg Wind Energy Project in the Springdale area around 11 a.m. Thursday. A spokesperson for Natural Forces said the individual who died was working as a subcontractor on the project, adding that all work was stopped on the site immediately. “The police and [WorkSafeNB] were on site following the incident and . . . Complete story »
Saint John Energy wind farm accused of freeloading at N.B. Power’s expense
N.B. Power has asked permission to begin charging a "balancing" fee for having to deal with constantly fluctuating production levels. … N.B. Power lawyer John Furey accused Saint John Energy of dirty tricks at the hearing by financing two experts, one openly and one secretly, to testify against the proposals. Complete story »
Residents of small N.B. community win 3-year scrap over wind farm
A wind farm project in the coastal community of Anse-Bleue is officially dead after several years of back and forth stemming from resident backlash. The tiny community of 400 people near Caraquet has been fighting the project for more than three years. The project was led by Naveco Power, a renewable energy company in Fredericton. The community has prevailed. “There’s a lot of relief … now the anxiety can stop,” said Anse-Bleue resident Martin Dionne. N.B. Power confirmed that the . . . Complete story »
TransAlta to rehab damaged wind farm following tower collapse
TransAlta Renewables said that it will rehab two wind farms and amend and extend existing power purchase agreements with New Brunswick Power Corp. related to the Kent Hills 1, 2 and 3 facilities, representing a total generating capacity of 167 MW. The agreements provide for a “blend-and-extend” of the PPAs for an additional 10-years through to December 2045. A TransAlta business unit will move forward with a plan to replace the foundations at Kent Hills 1 and 2 and restore the . . . Complete story »
Saint John wind farm electricity not allowed on NB Power wires
NB Power is generally less enthusiastic about the potential of wind and has been open about that. In his own presentation to the same committee, NB Power President Keith Cronkhite told MLAs wind often performs poorly on crisp cold winter days when it is needed most and that makes it difficult to rely on. "We don't have that wind diversity that says we can always count on wind blowing regardless of the conditions," said Cronkhite. "Based on technology that we see today it will not solve for those cold days in the winter." Complete story »
Cracks in foundation led to wind turbine collapse, 49 others also at risk
An investigation into what caused the collapse of a wind turbine at New Brunswick’s largest wind farm has revealed serious structural issues that affect not only the turbine that fell, but dozens of others in the area as well. According to TransAlta Renewables Inc., the Alberta-based company that owns and operates the Kent Hills wind farm, the cracks formed because of “deficiencies in the original design of the foundations.” This caused a 100-metre-tall turbine to collapse in the fall of . . . Complete story »
Turbine collapse spurs TransAlta to rebuild Canada wind farm
A Canadian renewable-power company will replace foundations at a New Brunswick wind farm after engineers determined a turbine collapse in October stemmed from design flaws. TransAlta Renewables Inc. said replacing 50 foundations will cost C$75 million to C$100 million ($59 million to $79 million) and take until the end of 2023. The Calgary-based company expects to lose C$3.4 million per month in revenue while the turbines are off line, according to a statement Tuesday. The foundation problems are limited to . . . Complete story »
TransAlta replacing turbine foundations at New Brunswick wind farm
TransAlta Renewables Inc. says it will have to replace all 50 turbine foundations at a wind farm in New Brunswick where a tower collapsed last year. The company says an analysis indicates that deficiencies in the original design of the foundations have caused cracks within the foundations and that they must be replaced. Based on initial estimates, TransAlta says the replacement of the foundations at its Kent Hills 1 and 2 wind sites is expected to cost between $75 million . . . Complete story »
