The Northwest Territories
Power Corporation and the Town of Inuvik have reached an agreement to
proceed with a micro turbine cogeneration demonstration project at the
Town's Midnight Sun Recreation Complex.
The project will
see the installation of two natural gas fueled micro turbine units that
will generate 76% of the electricity required to operate the Complex
and 48% of the facility's heat demand. The remainder of the electricity
and heat will continue to be provided through the existing NTPC system
and the Recreation Complex heating system.
Mayor Peter Clarkson
said in addition to being a partner in this ground-breaking demonstration
project, the real benefit for the Town was the recovery and use of the
residual heat generated by the turbines.
'We will see a reduction
in the cost of heating the building which is good news for taxpayers.
The saving is estimated to be $40,000 per annum' he said.
The Corporation
will own the micro turbines and cover all costs associated with the
operation of the units. The price charged for the supply of electricity
will continue to reflect the commercial rate charged in Inuvik even
though it is being generated on site.
The Corporation's
President Leon Courneya said that electricity pricing is determined
through a formal process involving the Public Utilities Board.
'The Board carefully
monitors the affairs of the Corporation ensuring, for example, that
one group of customers does not subsidize another' he said.
'What is exciting
about this project is that we will be able to test a new technology
not yet implemented anywhere in the North, under real northern conditions,
measuring efficiencies, benchmarking performance capability and gaining
valuable experience on how to integrate new generating systems into
the existing system' said Courneya.
Research and design
work on this project began 12 months ago and it is expected that the
two micro turbines will be operational mid-September this year.
Mayor Clarkson said
that Council was very happy to be working in partnership with the Corporation
on this project.
'The Corporation
is in the business of generating electricity and they already have a
successful residual heat system operating in Fort McPherson. We are
pleased to be able to participate in this demonstration project and
to again signal to the community that innovative things are happening
in Inuvik' said Clarkson.
For further information
please contact:
Peter
Watt
Marketing & Communications Officer
NTPC
Tel (867)
874-5215
