Windrise
The Windrise Wind Project is situated on 11,000 acres of land located in the Municipal District of Willow Creek.
TransAlta presently operates all windfarm facilities in the municipality and has been a proud member of the local business community since 2001.
The Project will have a nameplate capacity of 206.4 MW and will consist of 43 Siemens-GamesA 4.8-145 turbines.
In order to connect the Windrise Wind Project to Alberta’s electricity system, a 21 km transmission line is required. The 138-kV Windrise Transmission Project will connect the proposed Windrise Wind Project substation to Alberta’s electricity system 21km from the wind project site.
The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) approved TransAlta’s application to construct and operate the project on October 18, 2019. A copy of the AUC Power Plant approval is located in the Project Updates section.
Construction of the Windrise Wind Project began mid-April 2020 with enhanced COVID-19 safety measures and protocols in place to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, contractors and the surrounding community. The facility reached complete commercial operation on Nov. 10, 2021.
At a Glance
- Location: Municipal District of Willow Creek, 29 km southwest of Fort Macleod.
- Technology: 43 x Siemens-Gamesa 4.8-145 wind turbines – each on 90 m towers with a rotor diameter of 145 m
Timelines
- May 9, 2019 – Public Open House
- June 2019 – Alberta Utilities Commission Facilities Application Submission
- October 2019 – Alberta Utilities Commission Power Plant Approval
- April 2020 – Construction Start
- November 2021 – Commercial Operation
