Halifax-based SWEB Development is set to proceed this summer with construction of the 94.4-megawatt Weavers Mountain Wind Energy project in Nova Scotia after receiving a $117.4-million loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB).

Expected to become operational by 2026, the Weavers Mountain project is yet another significant step toward helping the province attain its goal of building a green electrical grid that will be 80 per cent powered by renewable energy sources by 2030.

"In terms of SWEB's operational footprint in Canada, the Weavers Mountain Energy project, once it reaches commercial operation, will be the largest ever in our company history," Jason Parisé, director of development - wind lead, SWEB Development, said in an interview with Sustainable Biz Canada.

"This project builds on the progress that Nova Scotia is making in transitioning from fossil fuel power generation to renewables and the province's commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of our electricity system."

A joint venture between SWEB and Glooscap First Nation, the wind farm reflects the partners' commitment to renewable energy development. It also marks the fourth project SWEB has helped launch in the Atlantic province as part of the ongoing process of reducing reliance on heavily emitting coal-fired power.

The project is expected to lower carbon emissions in Nova Scotia by about 221,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, equivalent to 1.5 per cent of the province's total emissions in 2022.

Weavers Mountain project cost $300 million

The Weavers Mountain wind farm represents an investment of nearly $300 million, which in addition to the CIB loan includes $105.6 in credit facilities provided by the Desjardins Group and a $25-million grant from Natural Resources Canada.

These funds will go toward the installation of 16 Nordex turbines at a 125-metre hub height, equipped with anti-icing system blade technology, and related electricity infrastructure.

Under the terms of the deal, which is secured by a 25-year power purchase agreement with Nova Scotia Power, Glooscap First Nation will hold a controlling 51 per cent equity stake in the project while SWEB owns the remaining 49 per cent. Each partner will inject the remaining capital required for the project in an amount proportional to their relative ownership share.

According to Parisé, Weavers Mountain is part of SWEB's strategy of delivering clean energy solutions across Canada founded on principles of "trust, community and transparency" as part of a commitment to support local communities.

"We invest locally whenever possible and operate on an ethical basis whereby we are providing clean and reliable energy to those communities with which we work very closely," Parisé said. "We hope a project like Weavers Mountain will have a real impact on the local community, create more jobs and provide benefits that remain within the communities – this is very core to our business.

"We regard our partnerships with First Nations entities such as Glooscap as an important part of the energy transition process that is of paramount importance to us and Indigenous communities."

Approximately 150 jobs will be created during the construction phase which falls under the oversight of Glooscap First Nation and is expected to provide employment to the local Indigenous community.

Apart from the Weavers Mountain wind farm, SWEB and Glooscap First Nation are also partnering on three more wind energy projects awarded in January as part of Nova Scotia's Green Choice Program. The projects are expected to have a power generation capacity of 315 megawatts.

Weavers wind farm site choice

SWEB Development, whose parent company WEB Windenergie AG is headquartered in Austria, has been operating in Nova Scotia since 2011. Three years ago, SWEB began identifying potential new wind farm sites in the province and reached out to First Nations communities to explore joint venture opportunities.

Glooscap First Nation expressed immediate interest, believing that SWEB's approach to sustainable development aligned with its own ecological and renewable goals.

The choice of Weavers Mountain was determined as much by the opportunity to recover previously disturbed forest industry land as for its high-altitude, abundant wind energy potential.

In addition, the location is close to existing power transmission lines which reduced the need for infrastructure construction and any further impact on the local environment.

"One of the primary drivers for wind energy siting, especially in the case of large-scale projects, is proximity to transmission circuits where the new injection of electricity is most needed and in this case to the Nova Scotia power grid," Parisé explained.

"Here in Pictou County where the Weavers Mountain project is located, there's a lot of high-altitude terrain and our data identified that this location had a particularly strong wind regime. But another important component of the project site is that it's located on previously disturbed land that has been used for forestry practices for several decades.

"This provided us with a lot of existing forestry roads which allowed us to avoid the kind of clear-cutting and destruction of mature forest lands which are a ripe habitat for a lot of rare species, not only saving us a lot of money but also lowering the environmental impact."

SWEB seeking new projects, partners

Over the course of this decade, SWEB intends to expand its development of wind farms across Canada while continuing to work closely with First Nations partners.

"We're keen to continue developing wind projects in partnership with Glooscap First Nations and there may be additional opportunities for more wind and more solar projects as well as battery storage facilities here in Nova Scotia," Parisé said.

"We're also very active in New Brunswick and have some development work ongoing in Ontario . . . and we would explore additional partnerships with First Nations communities in those respective areas as well."