Photovoltaic news and pv jobs

Samsung and Pattern plan 100 MW PV plant for Ontario

Samsung Renewable Energy Inc. and Pattern Energy Group LP have said they will build a 250 megawatt (MW) wind and photovoltaic plant in Canada’s Haldimand County, Ontario. In related news, Samsung is gearing up to open a new module factory in London.

The 250 MW renewable energy project will be loacted in Haldimand County.

Flickr/Dougtone

Construction on the 250 MW Grand River Renewable Energy Project (GREP), of which photovoltaics will comprise 100 MW, is expected to begin this September and be operational by the spring of 2014, a spokesperson for Samsung told pv magazine.

They added that the two parties are awaiting a response on their application for final renewable energy approval from the province, in order to begin construction. "In the meantime, fieldwork (e.g. archeological assessments) will continue," they said.

"Samsung, together with our development partner Pattern, welcomes the decision by the Elected Council of Six Nations to join with us in building a world-class wind and solar farm in Haldimand County. After almost two years of negotiations with Six Nations, we are proud to have reached an agreement for the first renewable energy partnership in Six Nations’ history," commented K.J. Kim, VP of Samsung Renewable Energy.

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Six Nations may choose to participate in the project by electing an equity holding or royalty for each of the wind and solar developments.

Gigawatt plans

Overall, Samsung is planning to install 2.5 gigawatts of photovoltaics in Ontario over five phases, and open four manufacturing facilities. To date, three of the facilities have been opened, including two wind facilities and an SMA Solar photovoltaic inverter assembly line in Toronto. "The final factory, to be located in London, Ontario, will construct solar modules and will be announced shortly," said the spokesperson. The products produced will be used both in Samsung’s projects and exported globally.

The Korean-based electronics giant is investing a total of CA$7 billion in Ontario. As the spokesperson explained, all project financing is being arranged by Samsung and its partners, under the conditions of its Green Energy Investment Agreement, signed with the Government of Ontario in January, 2010.