Trillium Power Wind 1
Encyclopedia
Trillium Power Wind 1 is a proposed 414 megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm
in Canadian waters of northeastern Lake Ontario
developed by Trillium Power Wind Corporation, a privately owned company headquartered in Toronto
. TPW1 is positioned to be among the first offshore wind farms built in the Great Lakes
.
, 35 km southwest of Kingston, Ontario
on the shoals of Main Duck Island. The project, as currently planned, will consist of 138 Vestas
V112-3.0 MW offshore turbines and two offshore substations linked to the Lennox Transmission Station by an underwater cable. The total project cost is estimated at $1.5 billion CDN.
The wind farm
will produce 1,560 gigawatt hours (GWh) of clean electricity based on a net capacity factor
of 43%, which is equivalent to the amount of power consumed by 130,000 typical Ontario households. TPW1 will offset 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions from coal-fired generation and 931,745 tonnes of CO2 emissions from natural gas generation every year. All power generated by the project will be sold to the Ontario Power Authority
under a 20-year minimum Power Purchase Agreement
. Under Ontario's Green Energy and Green Economy Act adopted in May 2009, offshore wind facilities of any size will receive a 19¢ per kilowatt hour (kWh) Feed-in tariff
.
and Cape Vincent, New York
in early July, 2010.
The TPW1 site is located on provincial Crown Land
secured through Ontario's Windpower Site Release and Development Program.
The project has been suspended by the Ontario government.
. Trillium Power's additional sites include: Trillium Power Wind 2, The Great Lakes Array and The Superior Array.
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
in Canadian waters of northeastern Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
developed by Trillium Power Wind Corporation, a privately owned company headquartered in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. TPW1 is positioned to be among the first offshore wind farms built in the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
.
Project Description
The TPW1 site is located in northeastern Lake OntarioLake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
, 35 km southwest of Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
on the shoals of Main Duck Island. The project, as currently planned, will consist of 138 Vestas
Vestas
Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines. It is the largest in the world, but due to very rapid growth of its competitors, its market share decreased from 28% in 2007 to 12.5% in 2009...
V112-3.0 MW offshore turbines and two offshore substations linked to the Lennox Transmission Station by an underwater cable. The total project cost is estimated at $1.5 billion CDN.
The wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
will produce 1,560 gigawatt hours (GWh) of clean electricity based on a net capacity factor
Capacity factor
The net capacity factor or load factor of a power plant is the ratio of the actual output of a power plant over a period of time and its potential output if it had operated at full nameplate capacity the entire time...
of 43%, which is equivalent to the amount of power consumed by 130,000 typical Ontario households. TPW1 will offset 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions from coal-fired generation and 931,745 tonnes of CO2 emissions from natural gas generation every year. All power generated by the project will be sold to the Ontario Power Authority
Ontario Power Authority
The Ontario Power Authority is an independent, non-profit corporation established through the Electricity Restructuring Act, 2004...
under a 20-year minimum Power Purchase Agreement
Power Purchase Agreement
Power Purchase Agreements are contracts between two parties, one who generates electricity for the purpose of sale and one who is looking to purchase electricity . There are various forms of Power Purchase Agreements; these are differentiated by the source of energy harnessed...
. Under Ontario's Green Energy and Green Economy Act adopted in May 2009, offshore wind facilities of any size will receive a 19¢ per kilowatt hour (kWh) Feed-in tariff
Feed-in Tariff
A feed-in tariff is a policy mechanism designed to accelerate investment in renewable energy technologies. It achieves this by offering long-term contracts to renewable energy producers, typically based on the cost of generation of each technology...
.
Key Attributes
- Mean wind speedWind speedWind speed, or wind velocity, is a fundamental atmospheric rate.Wind speed affects weather forecasting, aircraft and maritime operations, construction projects, growth and metabolism rate of many plant species, and countless other implications....
of 9.0 m/s at 100 m hub height based on data collected by both LIDARLIDARLIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser...
and Meteorological Mast wind measuring devices, along with 36 years of data collected on Main Duck Island; - Water depth ranging from 2 to 40 m;
- Power densityPower densityPower density is the amount of power per unit volume....
of 938 W/m³; - Close proximity to major grid interconnection points;
- Average wave height of less than 1 m (3.2 feet) 94% of the time from April to November;
- Low/zero visibility from shore or nearby major islands.
Approvals Process and Current Status
Trillium Power is currently undergoing Ontario's Renewable Energy Approval process. As such, Trillium Power is undertaking an array of studies including avian, aquatic, geophysical, ice, wave, navigation and noise. The first round of public consultations were held in Napanee, Ontario, Picton, OntarioPicton, Ontario
Picton is an unincorporated community located in Prince Edward County in southern Central Ontario, Canada. It is the county seat and largest community. Picton is located at the south-western end of Picton Bay, a branch of the Bay of Quinte, which is along the northern shoreline of Lake Ontario...
and Cape Vincent, New York
Cape Vincent, New York
Cape Vincent, New York may refer to:* Cape Vincent , New York* Cape Vincent , New York...
in early July, 2010.
The TPW1 site is located on provincial Crown Land
Crown land
In Commonwealth realms, Crown land is an area belonging to the monarch , the equivalent of an entailed estate that passed with the monarchy and could not be alienated from it....
secured through Ontario's Windpower Site Release and Development Program.
The project has been suspended by the Ontario government.
Additional Projects
TPW1 is the first of Trillium Power's four unique offshore wind developments in the Great LakesGreat Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. Trillium Power's additional sites include: Trillium Power Wind 2, The Great Lakes Array and The Superior Array.
See also
- Wind power in CanadaWind power in CanadaAs a means of pumping water and generating electricity in remote locations, wind power has a history in Canada dating back many decades, particularly on prairie farms. The amount of electricity generated by wind in Canada remains, however, small compared to other sources such as hydroelectricity...
- List of Offshore Wind Farms
- Feed-in tariffFeed-in TariffA feed-in tariff is a policy mechanism designed to accelerate investment in renewable energy technologies. It achieves this by offering long-term contracts to renewable energy producers, typically based on the cost of generation of each technology...
- Green Energy Act 2009