Sorgent.e Hydro Canada announced April 20 that it has signed a 40-year standing offer program electricity purchase agreement with BC Hydro for its Clemina Creek hydro project.
The agreement was done through Sorgent.e’s subsidiary, Clemina Hydro Power.
According to a media release from the company, the agreement is the first of its kind for Sorgent.e in Canada and will bring long term, clean and reliable energy to British Columbians.
The Clemina run-of-river project would have a total capacity of 10.5 MW and is located about 30 km south of Valemount.
Since 2013, Sorgent.e has engaged in a strategic partnership with Simpcw First Nation that results in durable benefits for the Simpcw people.
Likewise, Sorgent.e has worked during the past few years with local community stakeholders, regional and municipal governments to maximize the social, environmental and economic impact of this renewable energy development.
The signing of the electricity purchase agreement concludes the planning stage of the Clemina project and kicks off the pre-construction activities.
Sorgent.e Hydro Canada is apart of the Italian group Sorgent.e Holding that has operated in the clean energy sector since 1995. Sorgent.e Holding owns and operates more than 20 renewable energy plants in Europe and South America.
In 2013, Sorgent.e purchased the rights to fully permitted projects on Clemina and Serpentine creeks from TransAlta. The projects would would involve investments of about $45 million each.
Access roads, power-line modifications and ancillary works had already been done. There were even turbines on site, ready to be installed.
About 350 workers would be employed on site at each project during construction.
Sorgent.e also bought the rights for small-scale hydro projects on Dominion, Gum, Miledge, Hellroar, White, Finn and Dominion creeks. All seven were in early stages of development
One possible sticking point with the Clemina and Serpentine projects has been the limited capacity of BC Hydro’s transmission line up the North Thompson Valley.