SaskPower unveils new solar power facility near Swift Current

SaskPower is hoping sunny days are ahead for Saskatchewan’s first utility-scale solar facility.

The 10-megawatt (MW) Highfield Solar Facility officially went online Friday. The facility, which is located near Swift Current, can produce enough power for about 2,500 Saskatchewan homes.

“The commissioning of this facility is a landmark achievement for renewable power in Saskatchewan,” Don Morgan, the province’s minister responsible for SaskPower, said in a media release.

“SaskPower is set to exceed its emissions reduction targets, and renewables such as solar are an important part of a balanced approach that will allow our province to achieve net-zero emissions from power production by 2050.”

The Highfield plant is the first of four 10-MW solar power facilities that are to be added to the provincial grid over the next two years.

Saturn Power of Ontario built the Highfield facility and will own and operate it while selling the power it produces to SaskPower.

“It has been a great privilege for Saturn Power to be able to develop, construct and operate Saskatchewan’s first utility-scale PV solar project,” Doug Wagner, Saturn Power’s president and CEO, said in the release.

“Through the hard work of our team and the collaborative relationships built and fostered with both SaskPower and (contractor) miEnergy, we were able to build a project that will serve as a foundation in Saskatchewan’s efforts to develop a more sustainable and renewable power supply for decades to come.”