If you’ve been following semis with oversized loads on area highways, chances are that it's due to the major industrial projects happening in the area.
In the case of SaskPower’s Aspen Power Station Project, west of Lanigan just off Highway 16, it’s a great sign that the multi-million dollar venture is progressing well.
This week, a social media post from SaskPower reports the safe arrival of the gas turbine and generator from their departure point in Germany where they were manufactured.
“We also have the steam turbine arriving a little later in the summer or early fall,” explains Joel Cherry, spokesperson for SaskPower. “We had the generator arrive on site earlier in June. Those large components are arriving, so it’s a good sign that the project is progressing.”
When operational, Aspen Power Plant will be a combined cycle station, Cherry says. The primary natural gas turbine will produce much of the electricity from its direct operation. A secondary turbine will be powered by steam using the residual heat from the gas turbine to generate steam.
“We’re able to get extra power and extra efficiency out of the plant that way. That’s a similar operation with our Great Plains Power Station, recently opened in Moose Jaw, and the Chinook Station near Swift Current.”
The stations will all produce over 300 megawatts of power each, an important source of baseload power for the provincial grid. The project itself is about a third of the way complete with construction at around 16 per cent completion. The station is still on track with its 2027 online date.