Aeolis Wind — projects optimized by nature

Along the flat-topped foothills that parallel the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains in northeastern BC a WSW wind blows strong and steady throughout the year. And as it arrives at the western slopes of these ridges, it accelerates, and then smoothly descends to the prairie below. Some ridges are virtually treeless, while others are sprinkled with flagged specimens bowing ENE. They are sources of wind energy like few places on earth. According to a draft of BC Hydro’s 2013 Integrated Resource Plan, 19 of the province’s top 20 most cost-effective wind farm sites are located there. Aeolis has long-term leases on a number of them — projects optimized by nature.

Integrated with the region’s vast hydro reservoirs, northeastern wind has a vital role to play in driving the provincial economy for years to come. This includes providing renewable electricity to upstream, midstream, and downstream operations of BC’s nascent LNG industry — a development that would greatly help the industry reduce greenhouse gas emissions and truly become a supplier of some of the cleanest LNG in the world.

Artist rendering of Hackney Hills

Aeolis Wind — BC’s preeminent wind developer

Aeolis has an extensive network of data collection and monitoring towers on its northeastern wind farm sites. Our Victoria head office analyzes data from these sites with state-of-the-art software. Aeolis demonstrated its in-house technical and project expertise in leading development of BC’s first wind project: the 102 MW Bear Mountain Wind Park near the town of Dawson Creek. Bear Mountain began commercial production in November 2009—on time and on budget.

Thunder Mountain

Artist rendering of Thunder Mountain

Thunder Mountain is a wind project located north of the Heritage Highway in the Peace River District; it has an estimated total generating capacity of up to 400 MW. In February 2010 Brookfield Renewable Power Inc. acquired a controlling interest in the project. Thunder Mountain is located on provincial Crown land and, at its nearest point, is about 18 km southeast of the coal-mining community of Tumbler Ridge and 27 km from a grid interconnect point. The site is largely treed and traversed by petroleum development and forestry service roads, which offer relatively easy access. In 2009, the Thunder Mountain Wind Project was awarded a BC Environmental Assessment Certificate for up to 320 MW and it has all major permitting in place leading up to construction, including a General License of Occupation covering approximately 2300 hectares. There are 10 meteorological towers in the project area that have been collecting wind data for about six years.

Thunder Mountain South

Hackney Hills

Located approximately 50 km northwest of the town of Hudson’s Hope and the Bennett Dam, the 380 MW Hackney Hills Project has exceptional wind values, which explains why the site is almost treeless. It’s also on the logical route for a transmission line from the Peace to the Horn River Basin shale gas field, one of the largest of its type in North America. Hackney Hills: the right project at the right time.