International Power Canada (IPC) is conducting the preliminary work to start up Silicote Corners Wind Farm near Annan. The project will have 25-30 turbines, and will produce approximately 52 mw of power which will be sold to the Province of Ontario. IPC has leased over 3,000 acres for the project.
International Power Canada was founded in 2001 by Jay Wilgar who is currently the VP of Field Operations. When Wilgar visited Europe as a student, he noticed Wind Farms in many the countries. This got him thinking about whether the technology would work back home in Canada. These thoughts lead to the development of the company.
IPC currently has over 24 projects in development across Canada and have completed construction on 6 wind farms. The latest is in Harrow Ontario.
In 2007, Tim Sullivan, Manager of Field Operations at IPC, began holding information meetings in the Grey County area, answering questions about wind power development.
During these meetings, Sullivan met interested landowners in the area and eventually established a location for a meteorological mast to begin monitoring wind speeds and other relevant information.
A meteorological mast is used to record wind speeds and direction. It is essentially a very tall shaft reaching 60m up to 100m in height. It has anemometers and wind vanes at various heights recording the wind speed and direction and has the ability to store the information.
The meteorological mast is usually left in place for a minimum of 12 months however in most cases it is two years and beyond. More data provides the developer with a clearer picture and hence greater confidence of the wind profile in the area being tested.
One Friday evening in 2008, Sullivan attended the Meaford Farmers’ Market and brought along a model of a wind turbine as well as information pamphlets for the education table. Sullivan will be coming back to the Mearford Farmers’ Market on September 17, 2010 and will be available to answer any questions that you might have.
Sullivan notes that the wind industry is growing at a rate of 25 percent each year worldwide making it one of the fastest growing renewable technologies on the planet. Western Europe started to develop the modern day industry in the 1970's in an effort to be less dependent on imported oil and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Denmark and Germany now meet 20 percent of their domestic energy requirements with wind power.
Wind power alone can not satisfy all the worldwide energy needs. If allowed to mature and innovate, wind power can become one component of a comprehensive power generation system.
In 2008, IPC began field work to study the flora and fauna in the area. Some field work continues but most of it has been completed. The findings will be included in an environmental report submitted to the Ministry of the Environment.
IPC is in the process of finalizing the design for the wind farm which will be followed by a public meeting later this year or early next year.
