SaskPower project to link Saskatchewan’s northern and southern power grids

A project by SaskPower will connect the province’s northern and southern power grids, with the aim of improving reliability and growth in northern Saskatchewan.

The two power grids currently operate independently, and are only connected through Manitoba. SaskPower said the approval of the north-south transmission systems interconnection project will see the installation of two new transmission lines, running roughly 250 kilometres from the E.B. Campbell Hydroelectric Station to the IslandFalls Hydroelectric Station.

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“Connecting Saskatchewan’s grids is a key component of our provincial transmission strategy, which is in turn essential for our broader energy security strategy,” Jeremy Harrison, the provincial minister responsible for SaskPower, said in a statement.

“The north-south interconnection will help to keep Saskatchewan’s economy strong and growing by supporting new mining opportunities in our province’s resource-rich north.”

The project has received conditional approval for funding up to $18,075,000 under a fund from Natural Resources Canada, SaskPower noted.

“Strengthening Saskatchewan’s transmission network is a critical step in unlocking the full potential of our resource-rich North,” said Tim Hodgson, Canada’s minister of energy and natural resources, quoted in a statement from the province.

“Supported by our new government, this project will create jobs, advance Indigenous partnership, and unlock new mining and critical minerals development that will make us an energy and natural resources superpower.”

The project is still in the preliminary planning and design stages, SaskPower noted, with the new lines expected to enter service by around 2032.