FAQ
What type of energy do you develop?
Syntaris Power is currently focused on hydropower and has applied for over forty applications on rivers or creeks in British Columbia, representing an estimated total of over 600 Megawatts of potential energy. This includes three project proposals currently submitted for an Energy Purchase Agreement to the British Columbia Hydro (BC Hydro) Clean Call for Power. These projects have an estimated total capacity of approximately 104 Megawatts of electrical power. Syntaris Power is also exploring projects utilizing geothermal and biomass technologies. Both are excellent sources of clean, green, renewable energy.
How does a run-of-river hydro project compare to a traditional hydroelectric dam?
Unlike traditional hydroelectric facilities, run of river projects do not require damming of water. When large dams are built, the flow of the dammed river is radically changed and large areas of land are often flooded, including wildlife habitat and vegetation.
In a run-of-river hydro project, a portion of the river flow is redirected from the river through a diversion weir and sent into a pipe called a penstock. Due to the low height of the diversion weir, the headpond area is usually very small - commonly much less that the size of a soccer field. The penstock feeds the water downhill to a generating station. The natural force of gravity creates energy required to spin the turbines that generate electricity. Water leaves the generating station and returns to the river without altering existing flow or water levels.
Syntaris Power focuses on developing run of river energy projects in British Columbia that are relatively close to the power grid in British Columbia. By clustering our projects in a localized area, Syntaris can capture economies of scale with lower infrastructure and construction while leaving a minimal footprint on the environment.
What is meant by Green Power?
Green power simply refers to power that is generated from clean, renewable, environmentally friendly sources such as: hydro, wind, biomass, solar and geothermal as opposed to power that is generated from traditional “brown” or non-renewable sources, such as oil, coal and natural gas. A “Green Power” project is environmentally friendly in that its design allows for a minimal impact on the water, land, air and wildlife.
How will Syntaris Power’s projects offset carbon emissions?
By developing green power projects that deliver safe, clean, renewable energy, Syntaris is working towards reducing BC’s reliance on imported electricity, some of which is generated from “brown” or non-renewable sources. Syntaris Power has submitted three green energy project proposals to the BC Hydro Call for Clean Power that include the: Kinskuch River, Culliton Creek and Maselpanik Creek Projects. These three projects combined have the potential to displace over 210,000 tonnes of CO2 annually* from coal-fired generation plants outside BC, equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by over 42,000 cars per year.
* Based on the calculation that for every Mega-watt-hour of green power produced, 0.52 Tonnes of CO2 is offset from thermal power plants
How do Syntaris’ projects fit into our province’s future energy requirements?
According to BC Hydro, the demand for energy in the province is forecasted to increase between twenty-five percent (25%) and forty-five percent (45%) over the next twenty years. Currently, there is a shortage of electricity to meet demand in British Columbia. As a result, the province is importing between ten percent (10%) and fifteen percent (15%) of its electrical power from Alberta and the United States. One in eight homes in BC is presently powered by imported electricity. Therefore, by having independent power producers such as Syntaris Power develop green power projects domestically, British Columbia will reduce its reliance on imported electricity.
In addition, the provincial government’s energy plan calls for all new electricity generation projects to have zero net greenhouse gas emissions and that clean or renewable electricity generation continues to account for at least ninety percent (90%) of total electricity generation. The plan also requires that the province achieve electricity self-sufficiency by 2016. Development of Syntaris hydroelectric projects will go a long way in helping the province reach its goal of achieving energy self-sufficiency by 2016.
How will a run-of-river project benefit my community?
Syntaris partnerships bring many benefits including: long-term revenue generation for local communities and for the Province of British Columbia, the creation of employment during planning, design and construction phases, permanent work in plant management, local procurement of materials, equipment and services during project construction and the potential for electrical system reinforcement for the BC Hydro main grid.
Syntaris strives to mitigate any potential environmental, social and economic impacts by working collaboratively with First Nations, government, and local communities throughout the development and operational phases of our sustainable energy projects.
What is the amount of greenhouse gases reduced by British Columbia’s Independent Power Producers?
BC’s currently operating green IPP projects have already enabled an annual reduction of 4 million tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHG) that would otherwise have resulted from BC importing more power from coal-fired plants.
How much energy do IPP’s in British Columbia currently generate?
British Columbia Independent Power Producers currently generate 5,940 GWh on average of annual electricity, enough to supply over 500,000 homes in BC, and providing 10% of BC’s 11,000 MW total system capacity.
Where do I find out more information about Independent Power Projects?
The inter-agency guidebook for IPP’s is a great resource for not only IPP’s but anyone wanting to further their understanding on issues around IPP projects. Link to guidebook.
People interested in seeing the many ways they and local governments can help shape IPP projects, should read the Opportunities for Local Government and Public Participation in Provincial Regulatory Processes for IPP Projects booklet here.
