Startup proposes large-scale solar farm in northern New Brunswick

A startup is seeking environmental approval to build the province's first large-scale solar farm in a rural area south of Bathurst.

C2 Solar Ltd. filed for an environmental impact assessment last week to build a solar farm that could generate up to 10 megawatts, enough to power an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 homes.

"New Brunswick does not have any significant solar installations, and certainly nothing on a utility scale," Fraser Forsythe, who leads the Saint John-based company, said in a recent interview.

Plans are still in the preliminary stage with approvals, a power purchase agreement and financing required before construction starts.

Forsythe, who recently retired from Canaport LNG, calls it a "legacy" project he launched around 2016 after discussions with friends about creating a more sustainable energy future for his children and grandchildren.

"Are solar farms the be-all, end-all answer and a panacea for our climate change woes? Of course not, but they're certainly part of what the solution is going to be," he said.

He said the power generated would offset about 82,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from conventional energy generation over the 25 years the facility is expected to operate.

The solar farm is proposed on about 40 hectares of woodland owned by the provincial Regional Development Corporation near the Fornebu Lumber Company sawmill at the intersection of routes 430 and 360.

The nearest residential areas are several kilometres away and the area is already zoned for industrial use.

It would have 31,200 solar panels on 312 arrays that would feed into the province's power grid.

Forsythe said the company needs to reach an agreement to sell power to a utility like NB Power or Emera Inc., which owns Nova Scotia Power, before making a final investment decision.

"We need people to buy the power," he said.

A spokesperson for NB Power confirmed C2 Solar's proposal would be the first utility-scale, or large scale, solar farm in the province.

One of the largest solar sites is a farm near Sussex that generates enough electricity to power about eight homes.

Forsythe said the C2 facility, named the Violet Solar Farm, would cost $15 million to $18 million to build. He hopes to finance it with funds raised from banks or individual investors.

The company may also seek loans or grants from the National Research Council, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency or Opportunities New Brunswick, according to the environmental assessment document.

Forsythe said it would likely take up to two years to complete construction if all approvals are in place, financing received, and a power purchase agreement signed.

Construction would employ an estimated 40 to 60 people, while operation would likely involve several part- or full-time jobs, he said.

Forsythe said the solar farm could be expanded in the future to generate 50 to 60 megawatts.

"Technology is getting better all the time and the output on solar panels has increased dramatically as their prices come down dramatically," he said.

Forsythe said the company has already been in touch with various local elected officials and the nearby Pabineau First Nation.