Sakku Investments Corporation may soon become the first 100 per cent Inuit-owned renewable energy provider in the Kivalliq.
On May 8 the investment-arm of the Kivalliq Inuit Association signed a memorandum of understanding with Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. and the Whitehorse-based Northern Energy Capital for the construction of a three-turbine wind farm at the companySA国际影视传媒檚 Meliadine mine near Rankin Inlet.
The agreement was signed after a previous plan to supply the entire Kivalliq with wind energy was pitched to the federal government by Agnico Eagle in the fall.
That plan, which was outlined in a letter from Agnico Eagle to the minister of Environment and Climate Change in September, proposed reinvesting money from the $48 million in carbon taxes the company was expected to pay out over the course of a decade into renewable energy in the Kivalliq.
The plan suggested powering the region by putting a dozen wind turbines at Meliadine mine as well as one in each community.
However, according to Dominique Girard, vice-president of Nunavut operations for Agnico Eagle, that idea was shelved after changes to the federal carbon tax meant the companySA国际影视传媒檚 contributions to the fund would be almost revenue neutral.
$60 SA国际影视传媒� $75 million investment
The decision to move ahead with a plan to build just three turbines was arrived at after Agnico completed a feasibility study in February.
Based on the numbers from the study Agnico believes the three proposed wind turbines would be able to supply Meliadine with 20 per cent of its energy needs, resulting in a reduction of between six and eight million litres of diesel per year.
SA国际影视传媒淥n a 10 year basis weSA国际影视传媒檙e talking about 60 to 80 million litres of diesel,SA国际影视传媒� said Girard.
Sakku president David Kakuktinniq told Kivalliq News the corporation was approached by Agnico last fall to gauge their interest in investing in wind.
SA国际影视传媒淕iven itSA国际影视传媒檚 long-term nature and the positive impact toward it provides for the region it was a natural fit for our to investigate it further,SA国际影视传媒� said Kakuktinniq.
According to Kakuktinniq, it is estimated the Meliadine wine turbine project will require between $60 and $75 million worth of investment.
He said the corporation is hoping to get government funding as well as private investment to help finance the projects.
SA国际影视传媒淎 lot of this is dependent on contribution and grants to make it feasible,SA国际影视传媒� Kakuktinniq said.
Sakku is currently working with Agnico and Northern Energy Capital to come up with a business case for the turbines. Kakuktinniq added the project still needs to go through the permitting phase.
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e not going to be an alternative energy service provider overnight,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e just starting to get in to the material of what this looks like, what this will cost, what we will charge. The payback is long and slow and we have to be careful about how we do that. WeSA国际影视传媒檙e looking at the bottom dollar and making sure this is going to make sense for us and the region.SA国际影视传媒�
Renewables for the region
While Sakku is currently focused on assessing the feasibility of the Meliadine wind farm, Kakuktinniq said the project could provide a stepping stone for the corporation to provide renewable energy throughout the Kivalliq.
SA国际影视传媒淭his could be a chance to build our capacity and put bricks and mortar in place,SA国际影视传媒� said Kakuktinniq.
Both Sakku and Agnico see the Manitoba hydro link as the long-term solution to the KivalliqSA国际影视传媒檚 energy woes. But in a best case scenario it is expected to take a decade before that is up and running.
Even if it comes online, Kakuktinniq pointed out that Naujaat and Coral Harbour would not be served by the line, which could present the opportunity for wind power to fill those gaps.
In addition to those communities Kakuktinniq said there could be future opportunities for SA国际影视传媒渟maller one-offSA国际影视传媒� projects.
SA国际影视传媒淵ouSA国际影视传媒檙e in a good position if youSA国际影视传媒檙e already in the business.SA国际影视传媒�
