Cancarb cuts the ribbon on new $7M solar project in Medicine Hat

—

Cancarb president Peter Donnelly said the facility is expected to provide about one-sixth of its annual electricity requirements.

“On a nice sunny day, it will supply 90% of the carbon black plant’s electric utility demand,” said Donnelly.

“It will provide about one-sixth of the electric needs over the course of the whole year for the carbon black plant.”

The system is expected to begin operating on Thursday.

The project was roughly two years in development, with construction beginning after a groundbreaking ceremony in July 2025 and taking about 11 months to complete.

Donnelly said the solar field is the latest step in the company’s efforts to improve sustainability, following the commissioning of Cancarb’s waste heat recovery facility 25 years ago.

“At the time that we constructed our train 5 of the carbon black plant, we added the waste heat recovery facility,” Donnelly said.

The facility captures waste heat generated during the carbon black manufacturing process and converts it into electricity that is supplied to the City of Medicine Hat.

“It takes all of the waste heat that comes from the carbon black process and puts it through a boiler, and from that we make steam, and then we send the steam to a steam turbine and make electricity, which we are [under] contract with the City of Medicine Hat to supply,” Donnelly said.

Donnelly said the plant was supplying about 18 per cent of Medicine Hat’s electricity demand on Monday morning.

The new solar installation builds on those efforts and forms part of a broader sustainability strategy at both CANCARB and its parent company.

“It’s just another piece in our sustainability journey, as I mentioned, we are trying our best step-by-step to become a more sustainable and responsible carbon black manufacturer,” Donnelly said.

Tokai Carbon has set a goal of achieving carbon neutrality across its operations by 2050, a target Donnelly said will require improvements in energy efficiency, emissions reductions and lower water consumption.

“It’s going to be step-by-step through projects like this across the whole organization,” Donnelly said.

Donnelly noted the Medicine Hat solar field is the first solar project undertaken by the Tokai Carbon Group and said additional projects are expected in the future.

The project was constructed by Terralta and was completed after approximately 11 months of construction.

Donnelly said the investment also reflects Tokai Carbon’s continued support for the Medicine Hat operation.

“We at Cancarb are very grateful for the support of Tokai Carbon because they continue to invest in us here in Medicine Hat,” Donnelly said.

“We’re doing this also because our customers want us to add to our sustainability, and they’re very happy that we’re doing this as well.”

Medicine Hat Mayor Linnsie Clark and other city councillors attended the ceremony to mark the commissioning of the facility formally.

by Jett Schwaier

Cancarb cuts the ribbon on new $7M solar project in Medicine Hat

Our Community