Borealis GeoPower secures geothermal land use permit in NWT
Fort Liard, NWT, Canada (source: arcticcircle.ca)
Alexander Richter
25 Haz 2012
Canadian geothermal developer Borealis GeoPower secures the first ever geothermal land use permit in the Northwest Territories for its Ft. Liard combined geothermal power and heat project.
In a release today, Canadian geothermal developer Borealis GeoPower announced that “the McKenzie Valley Land and Water Board (MVLWB) has granted the company the first ever geothermal land use permit and water license in the Northwest Territories in Canada.
The issued permits, currently in draft form, allow for the development and operation, in partner with the Acho Dene Koe First Nations, of what is likely to be the first operating geothermal power plant in Canada. The plant is to be located just outside the Hamlet of Fort Liard, NWT and has been designed to supply the remote northern community with 600kW of electricity, with the future option to utilize waste heat in direct use applications.
The permitting process was begun early January 2012 and recently culminated in the issuing of draft Land Use Permit MV2012X0001 and Type A Water License MV2012L4-0001. The Land Use Permit is valid for the period from June 7, 2012 – June 6, 2017 and covers the drilling of the production and injection wells as well as the development and operations of the geothermal power plant facilities. The Water License is valid from June 20, 2012 – June 19, 2022 and covers water use and the disposal of waste for the purpose of generating geothermal power. Drilling is expected to commence in the 2012/13 winter season, with power coming online by late 2013, or early 2014.
The following organizations were involved in providing input during the application process: Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC), Environment Canada (EC), the National Energy Board (NEB) and the Government of the Northwest Territories, Environment and Natural Resources Division (GNWT-ENR).
The company thanks the Clean Energy Fund and the Government of the Northwest Territories – Environment and Natural Resources, for their support during the design, development, and permitting of the proposed geothermal plant.
Tim Thompson, Borealis’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “This represents a watershed moment for our partners and ourselves and demonstrates that geothermal power generation is a real and viable option for the Northwest Territories.”
Details about the permits and project can be found here.
