A barge carrying the regions new Wind Turbine has landed in Inuvik.
Deputy premier Diane Archie was on hand for the arrival of the 3.5 megawatt turbine, which the GNWT described as a major milestone for the project.
“With the arrival of the wind turbine and other large components, we continue to make significant progress on this monumental renewable energy project, for the benefit of NWT residents,” she said. “The NWT’s relatively small population and expansive geography contributes to the high cost of living, investment in alternative and renewable energy can reduce the reliance on diesel and stabilize the cost of power while reducing the territory’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
Flooding upriver had caused a few delays in the transportation of the blades and turbine base, but now that they have arrived the power stations will be stored at the MTS Building until the Inuvik Wind Project access road is completed, which is expected to be done by November of this year. Foundation work for the turbine is already underway and power lines are being installed.
As of current, the federal government is contributing $30 million and the GNWT is kicking in an addition $10 million for the project, which is expected to offset over 3 million litres of diesel fuel each year, or by roughly 30 per cent of the volumes burned today.
Each blade of the turbine is 67 metres long and the structure will stand 150 metres over the Delta when completed. The Wind Turbine was manufactured in Germany and arrived in Hay River in 2021.