100-megawatt solar facility planned for Southeast Saskatchewan

January 22, 2024, 9:52 am

Following a comprehensive competition, SaskPower has selected Iyuhána Solar LP (Iyuhána Solar) to construct and operate Saskatchewan’s largest solar facility to date in the Estevan area.

With a total generating capacity of 100 megawatts (MW), this emissions-free solar facility will produce enough power for the equivalent of approximately 25,000 homes. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025 and the facility is expected to come online as early as December 2026.

“This new solar facility will play an important role in our path to net-zero by 2050 or sooner,” said Rupen Pandya, SaskPower President and CEO. “We are proud of our ongoing collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and the critical role they are playing in the successful expansion of renewable energy in our province.”

A partnership between Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure, Saturn Power and Ocean Man First Nation, Iyuhána Solar, will permit, finance, construct, own, maintain and operate this facility and sell power generated to SaskPower through a 25-year power purchase agreement.

“Iyuhána Solar is honoured to be entrusted with this transformative opportunity in Saskatchewan. We are looking forward to building and operating this monumental renewable energy project and supporting the clean energy industry in Canada,” said Mazen Turk, Director, Iyuhána Solar LP and CEO of Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI).

“This success is the result of a strong, collaborative partnership with Ocean Man First Nation along with the determination of many team members, helping to ensure that the Iyuhána Solar Project was selected to support changing the landscape of renewable energy in Saskatchewan and Canada for generations to come.”

“Our partnership with GSI and SaskPower will bring great opportunities for Ocean Man First Nation, including employment and revenue that will provide stability and sustainability for our Band,” said Chief Connie Big Eagle, Ocean Man First Nation.

“We are proud that this project, which is able to generate clean power, will be known as Iyuhána Solar, which, in Nakotah translates to ‘everyone’ or ‘all of us.’ This is derived from our Nakotah belief that everyone and everything is related and therefore we must care for each other.”

Developed in partnership with Ocean Man First Nation, the project will be one of Canada's top 10 solar facilities by size.

Under an exclusive PPA, the largest with a utility in Canada since 2015, Iyuhána plans to invest approximately $200 million (CDN) to construct the solar facility, which it will operate, supplying generated power to the principal municipal utility company, SaskPower, for 25 years. Located in the Rural Municipality of Estevan in southeast Saskatchewan, this emissions-free solar facility will produce enough power for the equivalent of approximately 25,000 homes.

“We are proud to bring the transformative power of solar energy to Saskatchewan by working with partners such as Ocean Man First Nation,” said Mazen Turk, CEO of GSI. “This unique collaboration shows the power of renewable energy to harness resources and empower communities responsibly. This work is core to our ethos as a Libra company, and we look forward to continuing to help support a clean energy future across Canada and beyond.”

As a founding partner, Ocean Man First Nation will have an ownership stake in Iyuhána Solar. Band members will also receive specialized training to maintain the solar facilities and employment opportunities with the project. Additionally, partnering with two of Saskatchewan’s leading post-secondary academic institutions, Iyuhána will provide scholarships, internships, and direct research projects in clean energy to benefit the community.

While investment in renewable energy grows across Canada, Saskatchewan’s clean power supply mix has predominantly consisted of hydro and wind. This is the first of many planned solar projects in the province; by 2035, SaskPower plans to support approximately 3000 MW of new renewable energy capacity in the region.

“This new solar facility will play an important role in our path to net-zero by 2050 or sooner,” said Rupen Pandya, SaskPower President and CEO. “We are proud of our ongoing collaboration with Indigenous peoples and the critical role they are playing in the successful expansion of renewable energy in our province.”