TransAlta has announced plans to design, build and operate a 66MW wind power project in southern Alberta, Canada. The capital cost of the project is estimated at $115 million. Commercial operations are expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Located four kilometers from Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada, the wind farm will incorporate twenty-two 3MW wind turbines. According to TransAlta, once complete, the Blue Trail wind farm will provide an annual average of 195,000MW hours per year – enough electricity to meet the needs of approximately 29,000 homes.
Steve Snyder, president and CEO of TransAlta, said: Wind power is a key resource for meeting the demand for competitively priced, and environmentally sustainable electricity in the Alberta market.
Blue Trail supports TransAlta’s drive toward capitalizing on growth opportunities in our core western markets – through the addition of high-quality wind, small hydro, geothermal and co-generation assets to its generation portfolio. The project meets TransAlta’s return thresholds and is consistent with the company’s capital allocation plan.