Georgetown Solar Project
​​We are committed to engaging openly with landowners, public stakeholders, government agencies, and members of the local community
At METLEN, we recognize that our operations and facilities are located on the traditional territories, gathering places, and travel routes of the Indigenous peoples of Alberta’s treaty territories, as well as the Métis communities. We offer this acknowledgment as a sincere act of reconciliation and gratitude to those whose ancestral lands we work on and visit.
About the Project
Georgetown Solar Inc. is developing a 230-megawatt (MWac) solar project located 11 kilometres south of Carseland, Alberta in Vulcan County. The Project encompasses
700 acres (400 soccer fields) and has been sited on privately owned cultivated farmland. The Georgetown Project began development in 2020 with land securement and the initiation of environmental assessments.
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We are committed to sharing information about the Project and working with the local community to ensure that we receive and understand stakeholder feedback and concerns. We encourage community members and stakeholders to participate throughout this process and to contact us if you have any questions or concerns about the Project – our contact information is included below. The AUC brochure titled Public Involvement in a Proposed Utility Development can be found here: https://www.auc.ab.ca/regulatory_documents/Reference/PublicInvolvementBrochure.pdf
Project Benefits
The Project will have many benefits to the local community and to Alberta including:
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Local Employment: During construction, the Project is expected to create up to 360 full-time jobs, creating opportunities for local individuals and Alberta-based businesses. During operations, the Project will provide up to 10 permanent full-time and part-time jobs.
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Local Economy: Local businesses will experience increased activity in hospitality, retail, and other service industries during Project development, construction, and operations.
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Property Taxes: The Project will pay annual property taxes to Vulcan County resulting in financial benefits to the local communities.
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Clean Electricity: Local generation of renewable energy adds to the province’s energy mix providing a long-term, low cost and low carbon energy source. The Project is expected to generate emission-free electricity to power approximately 30,000 Alberta homes.
About
METLEN Energy & Metals (METLEN) is a global industrial and energy company, headquartered in Athens, Greece, focused on two key business sectors: Energy and Metallurgy.
As an experienced energy developer, METLEN owns and operates 2,000 MW of natural gas-fired thermal power plants. METLEN is also developing a worldwide pipeline of 11.1 GW of renewable energy and storage projects. For more information about METLEN please visit us at: metlengroup.com.
In 2023, METLEN made a significant entry into the Canadian market with the acquisition of 1.4 GW of solar power projects in Alberta and established the North American office-hub in Calgary.
Project Updates
As part of Georgetown Solar's ongoing stakeholder consultation, we are pleased to provide the following Project updates.
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We have engaged Vulcan County to ensure the Project layout meets all municipal bylaws and requirements. We have also drafted a project-specific Emergency Response Plan, which we expect to finalize shortly with County Emergency Management Services
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We are committed to engaging landowners and potentially affected stakeholders regarding the Project
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The solar power plant application was submitted to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) in on Nov 1, 2022. We will also engage Vulcan County for Municipal Development Approval in Q4 2022. We have municipal development approval (with conditions) as of Jan 2023.
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Construction estimated to begin Spring/Summer 2025, and last approximately 18 months. Commercial operations is targeted Q4 2026
Completed Project Studies
Environment: desktop and field studies were initiated in 2020 and were completed in Q3 2021 including:
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Environmental constraints mapping to identify buildable areas of land and avoid environmentally sensitive areas.
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Desktop wetland delineation and field verification to minimize impacts to wetlands and surface waters.
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Wildlife surveys including breeding bird, spring and fall bird migration, raptor, sharp-tailed grouse, and amphibians to mitigate impacts to wildlife.
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These studies were compiled into the Georgetown Solar Project Renewable Energy Report that was submitted to Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) on September 3, 2021. AEP will issue a Renewable Energy Wildlife Referral Report following its review and we anticipate this in February 2022.
We have also completed: Environmental Protection Plan and a Construction Conservation and Reclamation Plan.
Ongoing Project Studies
Historical Resources: The Project submitted an application for Historical Resources Act approval from Alberta Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women and received its approval on September 30, 2021.
Noise: A noise impact assessment per AUC Rule 012, Noise Control to assess noise for residences within 1.5 km of the Project - completed by an independent 3rd party engineering group, the project meets the requirements under AUC rules.
Glare: A glare hazard assessment to assess potential glare impacts at residences, along roads, and aerodromes if applicable -completed by an independent 3rd party engineering group, also approved by the AUC.
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Additionally: we are also conducting a decommissioning study and will make a decommissioning plan, as well as an agrivoltaics study and plan. The decommissioning plan is required by the county, the agrivoltaics plan is optional for us to do
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