Elemental Energy is accelerating construction on its Higgins Mountain wind farm in Nova Scotia after reaching financial close on a $118-million loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB).

The 100-megawatt wind farm is the largest such clean energy project ever developed by Vancouver-based Elemental Energy and represents a milestone in its strategy to become a major player in the North American renewable energy sector.

Once the Higgins project becomes operational in late 2025, Elemental Energy will have enabled Nova Scotia to take an additional step forward in reducing the province's reliance on coal-fired power plants which still remain a significant part of its energy equation.

"It's been a number of years since the last utility-scale wind farm was built in the province and we're excited and proud to play a part in helping Nova Scotia meet its renewable energy targets," Elemental Energy principal Jamie Houssian said. 

The project financing provided by the CIB is intended to advance Nova Scotia's energy transition goal that calls for the province to increase its proportion of renewable power generation to 80 per cent by 2030.

Taking advantage of ideal wind conditions in Nova Scotia

The Higgins facility is being built on a site strategically located within the boundaries of the Cumberland and Colchester municipalities of Nova Scotia where strong prevailing winds offer maximum potential for clean energy generation.

The site also allows Elemental Energy to take advantage of nearby existing transmission infrastructure to enable a relatively seamless connection of the Higgins wind farm to the province's electrical grid.

The company will be installing 17 state-of-the-art wind turbines with the capacity of generating up to 100 megawatts of clean and reliable electricity capable of satisfying the energy needs of 40,000 homes.

The Higgins wind farm will further reduce Nova Scotia's dependency on coal-fired power plants and lower carbon emissions by more than 200,000 tonnes per year, bringing the province closer a net-zero grid.

"We believe the province should burn less coal and building projects like this are vital to the goal of (establishing a sustainable energy grid)," Houssian said.

Elemental Energy is partnering with Stevens Wind and Sipekne'katik First Nation on the design, construction, and operation of the Higgins facility. The wind farm will create 100 jobs during the year-long construction phase as well as additional full-time positions to manage the day-to-day operations of the facility.

"I was just out there a couple of weeks ago and all the foundations are now being laid in. That means we're going to take turbine delivery next summer and have the wind farm up and running by next fall," Houssian said.

"We have a 25-year long-term offtake agreement with Nova Scotia Power, so Higgins will immediately begin generating revenue and cash flow for our company as soon as it becomes operational."

The project reflects the company's "belief in the growth potential of the wind power sector" and represents a significant milestone toward the realization of Elemental Energy's green energy objectives.

"Climate challenge is very real from my perspective. We need to throw a lot of solutions at the problem and renewables is a major piece of the puzzle. I see Canada as having an opportunity to play a leadership role in reducing carbon emissions and we need to do this sooner than later. That's our belief and that's what we're trying to participate in," Houssian said.

Elemental Energy working with First Nations on renewables

Apart from the Higgins Mountain project, Elemental Energy has already gained traction as a major player in the Canadian renewable energy sector on the strength of its five existing Alberta projects - part of its mission build a "more sustainable future" for Canada. 

One such project is the Chappice Lake Solar and Storage Project north of Medicine Hat, Alta. which went operational in November 2023 and is now plugged into the province's electricity grid. 

Developed in conjunction with the Cold Lake First Nations community, the Chappice Lake project is the latest example of Elemental Energy's ongoing engagement with First Nations groups.

"Most First Nations we've had the opportunity to deal with have fully embraced renewables and seen the potential benefits for their communities on an economic, environmental and social level," he said. "We take those partnerships and relationships seriously.

"It's been an honour to work hand in hand with chiefs and councils from across the country to develop projects."

Elemental Energy embarks on such First Nations partnerships not merely to boost its bottom line, he added, but also out of a sense of "pride" with respect to establishing long-term partnerships as a fundamental component of its business model. 

"These projects contribute to spurring Indigenous community involvement and excitement, especially in the case of young people," Houssian said. "It's been very cool for me personally to observe how these opportunities for career growth among Indigenous youth and young adults can have a positive impact."