en.Wedoany.com Reported - A consortium led by Toronto-based Aecon Group announced on July 2 that it has secured an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract valued at approximately CAD 1.2 billion for the first phase of the Greenlight Power Centre in Alberta. The project, with a total investment of CAD 3.2 billion, is expected to become one of the largest sources of new dispatchable power generation in the province.

The contract was awarded by Greenlight Power Centre Limited Partnership, a joint venture formed by Pembina Pipeline Corporation, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, and project developer Kineticor Asset Management. The contract was granted earlier the same day, following the project's final investment decision.

Aecon stated that its share of the contract will be included in the company's construction backlog for the third quarter.

Under the contract, the TRA consortium, majority-owned by Aecon and including Spain's Técnicas Reunidas Alberta Inc., will provide EPC and commissioning services. The scope of work includes civil construction, piping, structural, mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation systems for current and future power islands, as well as balance-of-plant facilities, gas metering stations, switchyards, and substations.

Construction is scheduled to begin in the third quarter, with commercial operations targeted for the second half of 2030. Aecon President and CEO Jean-Louis Servranckx stated that the contract reflects "unprecedented demand" for power infrastructure in North America to support artificial intelligence and data centers, and demonstrates Aecon's ability to deliver "large-scale, mission-critical infrastructure."

The Greenlight Power Centre is planned as a phased combined-cycle power station located in Sturgeon County, northeast of the provincial capital Edmonton. The first phase will generate 932 megawatts, with the site designed to expand to a permitted capacity of 1,864 megawatts as demand grows.

The project is situated on a 98-hectare site approximately 8.5 kilometers east of Gibbons. According to filings with the Alberta Utilities Commission, the project will be built in modular increments of about 466 megawatts, with full development expected by 2031.

The filings indicate that the facility will use combined-cycle technology, utilizing waste heat from gas turbines to generate additional electricity via steam turbines. The first phase will employ two Siemens Energy SGT6-8000H gas turbines, two SST6-5000 KN steam turbines, and two SGen6-3000W generators, with a fixed-price supply agreement and a long-term service agreement covering the power generation equipment with Siemens Energy.

The project plan also includes the construction of a new switchyard and transmission interconnection facilities, gas infrastructure, air-cooled condensers, and supporting balance-of-plant systems. The project is designed with provisions for carbon capture integration.

Greenlight has entered into long-term power supply agreements with unnamed data center customers. Under these agreements, the facility will provide its full 932 megawatts of generation capacity through a tolling arrangement that includes capacity and energy payments.

According to Pembina, the plant will require approximately 150 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. Greenlight has secured long-term transportation capacity through the natural gas pipeline known as the Alliance Heartland Expansion Project, TC Energy's NGTL natural gas system, and other commercial arrangements.

In addition to the EPC contract, Pembina will oversee the project's construction management workflow, while a third-party contractor will operate the facility under a long-term service agreement after completion.

The partners stated that the project has obtained major regulatory approvals, and approximately 85% of project costs have been locked in through fixed-price agreements, including the EPC contract and the Siemens Energy equipment package. Remaining project funding will combine asset-level debt and equity contributions.

According to the Alberta government and project developers, construction is expected to employ approximately 1,500 workers at its peak, requiring nearly 9 million work hours. The facility will add dispatchable power generation to Alberta's electricity system. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated in a release that Alberta's natural gas is driving the digital economy through this investment, creating thousands of jobs, generating significant economic growth, and bringing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to the province.