Poplar River power station
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Poplar River power station is an operating power station of at least 630-megawatts (MW) in Coronach, Hart Butte No. 11, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Poplar River power station | Coronach, Hart Butte No. 11, Saskatchewan, Canada | 49.057028, -105.485138 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2: 49.057028, -105.485138
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: lignite | 315 | subcritical | 1980 | 2029 (planned) |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal: lignite | 315 | subcritical | 1983 | 2029 (planned) |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Saskatchewan Power Corp [100%] | Saskatchewan Power Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Saskatchewan Power Corp [100%] | Saskatchewan Power Corp [100.0%] |
Background
The project to build the station was launched in the fall of 1974, with the Morrison Dam being constructed between 1975 and 1977 to provide cooling water for the station. Work on the power house began in 1975. The single stack is 122 m in height. The lignite used to power the station is supplied from the Luscar Mining Poplar River Coal Mine.[1]
Incidents
In June 2023, it was reported that heavy rains in the Coronach area caused minor flooding, which brought mud and debris into the power station's wells. As a result, the power station went offline amid rising pressure on the grid due to high temperatures in the region.[2] In August 2023, two months after the shutdown, Unit 2 had restarted and Unit 1 was expected to come back online within ten days.[3]
Retirement and energy transition
In November 2016 SaskPower's CEO stated that the plant was slated for closure sometime in the 2020s.[4] In December 2018 the federal government finalized regulations requiring all coal-fired plants in Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to be retired by December 31, 2029.[5]
As of 2019, the power station was expected to reach its end-of-life by 2030.[6]
An award-winning feasibility study reported on in October 2022 included the possibility of converting the Poplar River power station into a vertical greenhouse following its decommissioning. In this scenario, the Westmoreland Coal Poplar River Mine would be repurposed for fertilizer production.[7]
In December 2023, the Government of Saskatchewan announced CAD$550,000 in funding to the town of Coronach and the Rural Municipality of Hart Butte to evaluate alternative uses for coal, namely "char production and utilization." Saskatchewan-based Videre Energy reportedly planned on conducting a pilot project "focusing on taking lignite coal and converting it to low greenhouse gas emission products that can be used in energy and agriculture."[8][9]
In September 2024, Saskatchewan’s provincial government announced that the communities of Estevan and Coronach would each receive CAD$5 million to assist with the upcoming coal power phaseout and energy transition.[10]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ Poplar River Power Station, Wikipedia, accessed January 2019
- ↑ "Flooding shuts down major coal power station, leaving SaskPower scrambling to backfill its output and shed load internally," Pipeline Online, June 7, 2023
- ↑ "One of SaskPower's largest generation plants partially offline for more than 2 months," CBC News, August 16, 2023
- ↑ SaskPower readies for big decisions soon, Regina Leader-Post, Nov. 24, 2016
- ↑ Swapping coal for natural gas not a solution, warns Ecology Action Centre, CBC, Dec. 14, 2018
- ↑ "Impending Power Plant Closure Means Trying Times Ahead for Coronach," Swift Current Online, October 7, 2019
- ↑ Award-winning study explores economic options for coal-reliant communities in southern Sask., CTV News Regina, Oct. 20, 2022
- ↑ "Sask. community receives $550,000 to pursue alternative uses for coal," CTV News Regina, December 5, 2023
- ↑ "Sask. government promises $550K in funding to help Coronach, RM of Hart Butte in coal transition," CBC News, December 5, 2023
- ↑ “Sask. investing additional $10M to help coal reliant communities transition through federal phase out,” CTV News Regina, September 23, 2024
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
