Yukon Energy Advances Grid-scale Battery Project in Whitehorse

Tuesday, 15 December 2020 10:30

The new battery is a critical investment in Yukon Energy’s ability to meet growing demands for electricity and securing Yukon’s energy future. As an isolated grid, one of the largest challenges Yukon Energy faces is meeting peak demands for power during winter months.

Yukon Energy reached a critical milestone in its efforts to build a grid-scale battery in Whitehorse by making two major announcements about the project today. Once completed, the 7 megawatt/40 megawatt-hour battery will be the largest grid-connected battery in the North, and one of the largest in Canada.

The first announcement – Yukon Energy has issued the first stage of a two-stage competitive procurement process for a battery vendor for the grid-scale energy storage project.

In Stage 1, vendors are being asked to submit a proposal demonstrating their technical capability, experience and corporate capacity to deliver a battery designed to meet Yukon Energy’s operational requirements and Yukon’s northern climate. Qualified vendors chosen in Stage 1 of the process will be invited to submit a proposal in Stage 2, which will evaluate vendors based on technical specifications, price, First Nations benefits and other components.

Yukon Energy’s Request for Proposals (RFP) can be viewed at yukonenergy.ca and merx.com. The RFP closes at 2:00 p.m. Yukon Standard Time on February 15, 2021.

Today’s second announcement – Yukon Energy has eliminated the site beside its Takhini substation on the North Klondike Highway from consideration as a potential location for the battery. The decision to remove the site was made after nearly 60 per cent of public comments received by the Corporation about the project this past fall were in opposition to the site on the North Klondike Highway being considered as a possible location for the battery.

Three different sites were originally proposed by Yukon Energy as potential locations for the battery – two in Whitehorse near Yukon Energy’s operations on Robert Service Way and one on the North Klondike Highway. All three potential sites are First Nations Settlement Land and located on the overlapping Traditional Territories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council.

Earlier this year, Yukon Energy and representatives from the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council developed a Project Steering Committee to evaluate site options. Public feedback about the battery storage project was collected during a series of open houses in September and through discussions with property owners near each of the three proposed sites.

A What We Heard Report outlining key themes and findings from those engagement sessions has been posted on Yukon Energy’s website, yukonenergy.ca. A final site for the battery is expected to be announced once lease terms have been finalized.

“It feels great to reach this critical milestone. We knew when we started this project that the most difficult and time-consuming part of it would be sourcing the right kind of battery for our unique needs and climate. Issuing this RFP now sets us up to have the battery installed and in service by the end of 2022 like we always planned.” Andrew Hall, President & CEO of Yukon Energy

The battery will store excess electricity generated during off-peak periods and provide Yukoners with access to more power during peak periods, reducing the amount of diesel needed at that time. Over the 20-year life of the project, the new battery is expected to reduce carbon emissions in Yukon by more than 20,000 tonnes.

On September 5, 2019, the Government of Canada announced $16.5 million in funding for the battery through the Green Infrastructure Stream (GIS) of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. Yukon Energy’s investment in the battery is expected to be between $10 and $13.5 million.

The battery is scheduled to be installed and in service by the end of 2022.

More from CHON-FM Northern News

Whitehorse Emergency Shelter Sees Another Tragic Death, Family Demands Answers

Bailey's biological father also died at the shelter in 2021, and she claims that the shelter's staff provided conflicting accounts of the circumstances surrounding the death of her Step father.
Yukon Risks Blackouts This Winter as Hydro Power Plant Undergoes Repairs

The Aishihik turbine was critically damaged in October, and repair work is not expected to be completed until spring.
Yukon government accused of budgeting interference

Letters from three independent officers of the assembly question Management Board for changing budgets after approval.
Liard First Nation chief has lost confidence, been suspended by his community

LFN citizens who attended a public meeting Tuesday in Watson Lake overwhelmingly sided with the Deputy Chief and Council members who drafted a resolution to have Chief Stephen Charlie suspended from his duties
Liard First Nation Employees Fired After Advocating for Change

Emeral Poppe and Diana Lee Jimmy have been vocal advocates for change within Liard First Nation, raising concerns over transparency.
YFNED kicks off fifth-annual winter hamper program

"We try to support local as much as we can." - YFNED Acting Director of First Nation Initiatives Kim Rumley
Broken generator at Aishihik Generating Station puts pressure on the Yukon's electricity grid

The 12-megawatt generator failed due to a part malfunction, according to the Yukon Energy Corporation
Intergovernmental Forum takes place in Ottawa - not Yukon - for second year running

Forum discussed collaborative approaches to funding the implementation of Final and Self-Government Agreements.
Suspected contamination at the abandoned Wolverine Mine: Yukon government

The Yukon government has been addressing water treatment issues at the site since the mine's abandonment in 2015
Food For Fines Campaign Returns to Whitehors

Eligible tickets include: Expired parking meter fines, and Two-hour zone fines.
Yukon First Nations leadership and Yukon government leadership meet for 30th Yukon Forum

This was the third Yukon Forum of 2024. The last will be the Intergovernmental Forum in Ottawa in December.
Shot in the Dark Productions premiered two films at the Yukon Arts Centre

Shot in the Dark Productions believes puppets can captivate both children and adults, conveying important environmental science themes through entertainment.
Former Connective staff acquitted of sexual assault and exploitation charges

Judge Gurmail Gill found Omale not guilty due to inconsistencies in the complainant's testimony and lack of forensic evidence.
Whitehorse RCMP officers to start using body-worn cameras

The Yukon RCMP adopts body-worn cameras to bolster trust, accountability, and transparency in its community services
Whitehorse Community Thrift Store volunteers stop work following store manager's termination by its board of directors.

Thrift store society founder Karen Weinberg says the manager was fired for raising safety concerns.
Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin, Yukon NDP blast Yukon government for delays in Dawson Regional Land Use Plan

“Every day this plan doesn’t get done is another day of status quo for the mining industry. It’s starting to feel like this is by design.” - Yukon NDP Leader Kate White
Newly elected Whitehorse Mayor and Council sworn into office

Mayor Kirk Cameron and Councillors Anne Middler, Dan Boyd, Lenore Morris, Eileen Melynchuk, Jenny Hamilton, and Paolo Gallina have taken their oaths of office.
2024 Yukon River fall chum salmon run records dismal numbers

The Porcupine River revealed alarmingly low numbers, with 16,275 and 8,368 fish recorded
Trial of Former Connective residential support worker accused of sexually assaulting a vulnerable client commenced in Whitehorse territorial court on Monday.

Omale, 38 has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a person with a disability stemming from September 2023.
Whitehorse residents join Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition's Actions for Accountability Rally

Dozens of people marked Poverty and Homelessness Accountability week with a walk to the Jim Smith building, where the mother of a homeless man spent the night camping in the parking lot.