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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Alpin Sun Proposes Solar Farm at Edmonton, Alberta, International Airport

07/08/2020
A Germany-based global developer of utility scale renewable projects and part of Alpin Group, Alpin Sun is proposing to locate its 120-megawatt Airport City Solar Farm on 627-acres of leased land at Edmonton Intentional Airport in Alberta, Canada.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2022, and be operational by the end of that year. According to airport officials, the project will bring in an estimated $169 million in foreign direct investment to the Edmonton Metro Region. Power generated by Airport City Solar will feed into Fortis Alberta and airport distribution systems.

“Airport City Solar will dramatically transform the west-side of EIA’s lands, create jobs and bring in a potential new power source for airport operations and the Edmonton Metro Region,” airport officials said. “All available information shows this will be the largest development of its kind at an airport anywhere in the world.

The new solar farm reflects EIA’s on-going commitment to economic development and diversification, along with its core value of being dedicated to sustainability.”

“One of our core principles is being dedicated to sustainability. With Airport City Solar and Alpin Sun we’re creating something the whole world will notice. We’re Canada’s largest major airport by land size so we have the space to do something very special, the largest solar farm at an airport in the world. This will create jobs, provide sustainable solar power for our region and shows our dedication to sustainability,” said Tom Ruth, President and CEO Edmonton International Airport.

Over the next year, the Alpin Sun team will conduct extensive studies and seek approvals from the required local, provincial and federal regulatory agencies, including NAV Canada.

The facility area of 627 acres will equal roughly 313 CFL football fields, officials explained. The panels will be constructed in two main groupings; its east grouping will be 367 acres that would accommodate 72 MW, while its west grouping will be 259 acres that would accommodate 48 MW.

“We want to add to Alberta’s recovery momentum and be in a position by 2022 to not only support existing industries and communities in the area but also serve as a catalyst for new investment in advanced technology and logistics,” said Fred Null, Director of Project Development, Alpin Sun.

“This fully private-sector investment in the world’s largest airport solar farm will create hundreds of jobs and represents an investment of nearly $170 million. The project, when combined with other recent exciting investments in renewables, shows that Alberta is the most attractive place in Canada to invest, not just in renewable energy, but across all sectors of the economy,” Tanya Fir, Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism added.

“This exciting project demonstrates the growing role of solar energy in Alberta’s economy. Private sector investments like this show the strength of Alberta’s solar resource across much of the province, including in and around Edmonton. EIA is demonstrating leadership by harnessing the competitive economics of solar to establish the airport and surrounding transportation corridors as a hub for the solar value chain in this part of North America. This bodes well for jobs and economic benefits in the region well into the future,” said Benjamin Thibault, Executive Director, Solar Alberta.

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