Sask. coal power plant shuts down after half-century
Shuttering coal plant in favour of less polluting power
After 54 years of powering the province, Saskatchewan's oldest coal-fired power plant is being shut down this weekend.
The closure of Boundary Dam Unit 2 follows last year's shut down of Unit 1.
Tim Schuster, Senior Director at the power station, says the unit played a role in building Saskatchewan. He says the shutdowns are nostalgic events for people who spent their entire careers at Boundary Dam.
"There's a certain sentimentality that goes with the fact that those units, after such a long service life, are going to be taken out of service," he said.
SaskPower says the 61 megawatts produced by Unit 2 will be replaced by an increase in natural gas generation, as well as electricity sold to the province by Manitoba Hydro.
Coal-fired steam generators, like Unit 2, produce more carbon emissions per megawatt than other forms of power generation like natural gas or wind.
While the shutdown represents a move away from coal power in Saskatchewan, nearby Boundary Dam Unit 3 -- also a coal-powered generator -- is being outfitted with a cutting edge carbon capture storage system.
When complete, it's expected the system will reduce the plant's emissions by ninety percent.
Unit 2 shuts down on Monday.