PanCanadian Petroleum has been chosen by Alberta’s electricity transmission administrator to build two natural gas-fired power plants near Calgary. PanCanadian’s proposals include a 50-50 partnership with Canadian Occidental Petroleum on one of the projects. The two plants, each costing around C$100 million ($67.5 million), have a total power generation capacity of 212 MWe. This new generation will supply the expanding power demand of Calgary and Alberta.
The first proposed plant is to be located some 18 km southeast of Strathmore, Alberta. Owned 100 per cent by PanCanadian, the power station will generate 106 MWe. The second, owned 50-50 by PanCanadian and Canadian Occidental, will also generate 106 MWe at the Balzac natural gas plant, located about 5 km north of Calgary. Power from both plants will be sold to Alberta electricity consumers or used to supply the owners’ existing oil and gas facilities. Construction could begin as early as the fourth quarter of 2000.
Elsewhere in the state, TransCanada Pipelines, through its subsidiary TransCanada Energy, has announced plans to build a 80 MW natural gas-fired cogeneration plant near Carseland and a 40 MW station near Redwater, close to the provincial capital of Edmonton.