Construction of the new natural gas power station in Moose Jaw is on track. The plant is to be named the Great Plains Power Station. I probably wasn’t the only one in Moose Jaw wondering if the COVID-19 pandemic had delayed progress, however I have been reassured by SaskPower that the project is on schedule. Initially, when the natural gas power plant was first being proposed by the province in November 2016, Moose Jaw was not even being considered as a site for possible locations. I commend Mayor Tolmie, our City Council, city administration, the Economic Development Team and the Planning Department for their efforts that resulted in Moose Jaw being the chosen site in November of 2018.
A significant step was taken last February when the project entered the request for proposal phase. Burns & McDonnell Canada Ltd. and Kiewit Construction Services ULC, two companies with project experience in Saskatchewan, have been shortlisted to proceed in the competitive process. SaskPower is committed to maximizing local opportunities throughout this project. Their last power station project led to $140 million of work for Saskatchewan businesses and workers and they would like to see even more local involvement for this project.
Approval has been granted to move on to the permitting phase for this project. This is because the Ministry of Environment completed their review of the project and has determined no formal environmental assessment is needed. SaskPower has signed a land purchase agreement and finalized a services agreement with the City of Moose Jaw.
Upon contacting the office of Dustin Duncan, Minister responsible for SaskPower, requesting an update on the project, I received the following information:
The planned Moose Jaw power station is still on track and has not experienced delays.
We adjusted proposal development meetings, outreach activities etc. to take place virtually instead of face-to-face.
We continue to work with our two proponents in preparation of their proposal submissions. We look forward to receiving the proposals.
We still plan to break ground in early 2021. The exact timeline will be determined with the selected contractor.
Road work is planned for this fall to support the project.
The project is expected to result in significant economic spinoff for our region. SaskPower is committed to providing opportunity to local and Indigenous suppliers, subcontractors and labour. At its peak during construction, there is expected to be more than 500 workers on site. Once operational, Great Plains Power Station will create approximately 25 permanent jobs.
In a conversation I had with Mayor Tolmie, he pointed out that the Power Station is not only important to the City of Moose Jaw but to the province as well. The Province without this power plant would lose power independence and become reliant on outside producers such as Manitoba Power.
It will be a few years before Great Plains Power Station is complete due to the magnitude of the project, but we will see its benefits to Moose Jaw and Saskatchewan for years to come.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
