Event Recap: Rankin Inlet Town Hall (July 18, 2024)
- Kivalliq Alternative Energy
- Jul 26, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 26, 2024
Kivalliq Alternative Energy
July 18, 2024
Overview
Who: Kivalliq Alternative Energy
What: Town Hall – Rankin Inlet Wind Energy Project
When: July 18, 2024
Location: Community Hall, Rankin Inlet
Target Audience: Rankin Inlet community members
Attendance: Approx. 20 people
Hosts:
Blaine Chislett, Energy & Sustainability Manager, Sakku Investments Corporation (SIC)
Dana May, Project Development Manager, Northern Energy Capital (NEC)
Ruben den Uyl, Renewable Energy Analyst, NEC
Summary of Presentation
Kivalliq Alternative Energy (KAE), a partnership between Sakku Investments Corporation and Northern Energy Capital, is developing a wind and energy storage project in Rankin Inlet.
The Project aims to generate locally-produced clean energy, reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, and increase energy sovereignty, security and economic development in the Kivalliq Region.
Wind energy offers benefits like local clean energy generation and reduced reliance on costly imported fossil fuels, but trade-offs such as land disturbance during construction, noise, and potential interactions with wildlife must first be fully understood.
The Project concept includes 2-5 turbines with 46m-81m height, a new road and an electrical line.
The Project is estimated to produce 10,000 MWh of renewable electricity annually, meeting 40% of Rankin Inlet's total demand and displacing 2,700,000 L of diesel per year.
Site selection criteria consider factors like wind speed, distance to objects, environmental impact, and wildlife concerns.
Four sites are being studied at the moment, in different directions from the community.
Community engagement is a key aspect of the Project, with ongoing opportunities for feedback and collaboration.
The Project timeline includes community engagement, wildlife monitoring, site selection, design & engineering, and construction phases.
Download Rankin Inlet Town Hall Presentation (PDF):
Questions from the Community
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Q1: Can the wind turbines survive in extreme weather conditions (i.e. cold, arctic storms and lightning strikes)?
Answer: Yes, the wind turbines proposed for the Rankin Inlet project are specially designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, including extreme cold, arctic storms, and lightning strikes. Here's how:
Extreme cold: The wind turbines are designed to operate in temperatures as low as -40°C. The blades and other components are made of materials that can withstand these temperatures.
Arctic storms: The wind turbines are designed to withstand high winds and heavy snow loads. The towers are strong enough to support the turbines even in the strongest winds, and the blades are designed to shed snow and ice buildup. If the wind becomes too high, the blades will stop spinning to ensure safety.
Lightning strikes: The wind turbines are equipped with lightning protection systems that divert lightning strikes away from the turbines and into the ground.
In addition to these design features, the wind turbines are also tested in extreme weather conditions before they are installed. This testing ensures that the turbines can withstand the rigours of the Arctic environment.
Q2: Will the wind energy project sell the energy directly to the people in the community? What will the impact on my energy bill be?
Answer: KAE will own the turbines and sell the electricity to the utility, QEC. KAE won’t sell electricity directly to consumers. Therefore, QEC will remain the only direct power supplier to community members in Rankin Inlet. QEC is also responsible for the pricing of this energy. The price of the wind energy won’t be higher than the price of power produced by diesel generators.
Q3: Will the energy from the wind turbines put additional stress on the diesel generators?
Answer: The wind energy project in Rankin Inlet will include large batteries. These batteries will be charged when there is a surplus of energy being generated by the wind turbines. Because it is not always windy, at times when the wind turbines suddenly produce less power, the batteries will make sure that a steady supply of power will be delivered to the grid. This prevents the diesel generators from having to ramp up and down at fast paces, preventing generator inefficiencies. The batteries will have enough capacity to deliver energy for an hour, giving the generators plenty of time to safely and efficiently build up the required capacity.
Q4: Whose land will the turbines be on?
Answer: The current proposed locations are on Municipal Land. The project will lease this land for the duration of the project, 25 years, and return the land to its original state at the end of this.
Q5: Who is responsible if there will be nuisance from the wind turbine project?
Answer: The Municipality will provide a permit to the wind energy project based on general conditions, such as certain noise limits and other environmental constraints. If the project exceeds these limits, the project is responsible for the nuisance and the efforts to change this. Where needed, talks between the complainant, the municipality, and the project owner will be organized to find a way to come to a solution.
Q6: Who will be the long-term owner of the project? Will the project be sold once it is completed?
Answer: KAE will be the long-term owner of the project, and does not plan to sell the project once it is built. This is KAE’s desire, but also its obligation, based on the terms of certain funding and operational agreements that KAE has entered to finance and operate the project.
Feedback from the Community
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Attendees indicated that many Elders did not get the announcement of the Town Hall and indicated that KAE should use the radio more for announcements.
Response: KAE is aware of the importance of the radio for communication and did reach out via the radio several times to announce the Town Hall in advance, however, our reach was not as extensive as we hoped. We will work on continually improving this for our next meetings.
Attendees indicated that summer is not the best time for reaching a large share of the community with a Town Hall event, since it overlaps with hunting season and many are out on the land.
Response: KAE acknowledges this feedback and are considering this in our future planning. We made the decision to proceed with this timing due to the need to keep advancing the project and do initial outreach in line with funding timelines. However, KAE will be continuously reaching out to residents of Rankin Inlet.
KAE will be back in the fall to continue discussions that build on the information learned in this visit, which allows the public to engage with the project again. This will be done multiple times throughout the project, to make sure that all community members have plenty opportunities to share their thoughts and concerns.
Kivalliq Alternative Energy team members host a town hall in Rankin Inlet to answer questions and gather feedback on the proposed wind energy project on July 18. PHOTO: Ruben den Uyl
About Kivalliq Alternative Energy
Kivalliq Alternative Energy (KAE) is a leader in the clean energy transition in Nunavut's Kivalliq region. By developing renewable energy-generating projects, KAE is increasing energy independence for the remote communities it represents. KAE's projects nurture community benefits, grow local capacity and lay the foundations for powering the region's clean energy future. KAE is an Inuit-led partnership between Sakku Investments Corporation (SIC) and Northern Energy Capital (NEC).
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