Wind turbine - Photo courtesy Capital Power

By Charles Lefebvre

Wind power

Capital Power performing testing of Whitla Wind Facility

Nov 21, 2019 | 4:19 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The Whitla Wind Facility is getting closer to being fully operational.

Capital Power is currently running testing and commissioning the project, located in the County of 40 Mile near Bow Island. The facility has been under construction for much of the year, and features 56 wind turbines on approximately 33,000 acres of land.

“We have all 56 turbines, and they’ve all been topped out, that means all of the parts have been put together, they’ve all been assembled,” said Jerry Bellikka, director of government relations with Capital Power. “They’re now going through a testing phase to make sure everything works to specifications, and so far, it’s looking pretty good.”

Bellikka says during the testing, multiple turbines are generating power for the province’s power grid. On Wednesday, the turbines generated 124 megawatts of electricity. The facility is expected to generate 201.6 megawatts once the first phase is commissioned.

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“It depends on wind conditions, and which turbines they’re doing the testing on,” he said.

Bellikka adds the facility is in a good position to help benefit the region.

“Southern Alberta has a great wind regime, so that wind regime fits in with wind turbines quite well, and that’s a pretty consistent resource,” he said. “It is intermittent, based on how much the wind blows any given day, but it’s well positioned in southern Alberta to be generating electricity most of the time.”

Bellikka says in addition to the testing, Capital Power is currently cleaning the construction area around the project. He says the Whitla Wind Facility will be up and running by the end of the year.