Global wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power has agreed to sell its under-construction Oldman 2 wind farm, located in Alberta, Canada, to furniture retailer IKEA.
Spanning across 648 hectares of private farmland, the plant is expected to come online in the autumn of 2014 at which IKEA will assume the ownership of the plant.
However, Mainstream will continue to operate and maintain the project on behalf of IKEA throughout the project’s operating life as part of the agreement, while IKEA Canada will own the project.
The project, which received approval from the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) in October 2010, calls for the construction of around 20×2.3MW turbines and associated collector lines and substation.
Once operational, the project is expected to generate enough electricity to power around 15,000 homes annually, while curbing Alberta’s carbon footprint.
Wind tests on the site have been underway since February 2004 and the results confirmed a potential net capacity factor for the site in the upper 30% range. Oldman 2 Wind Farm, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mainstream and Alberta Wind Energy, had filed an application with the AUC in August 2009.
Oldman 2 is the second wind farm IKEA has agreed to purchase from Mainstream with the first being the Carrickeeny wind farm in Ireland in August 2013.
These developments are part of IKEA’s plans to invest £1.5bn in wind energy and solar programs up to 2015 and, particularly wind energy a key part of the company’s sustainability strategy to generate as much renewable energy as it consumes by 2020.
Mainstream chief executive Eddie O’Connor said the company has once again partnered with IKEA and emphasized that partnering with corporations who want to own wind and solar plant is growing part of its global business.
“This project is a significant investment in Alberta’s renewable energy future and one that is badly needed.