Released on October 28, 2002
The Regina Health District, SaskEnergy and SaskPower today announced aninnovative pilot project at the Regina General Hospital. This alternative
energy system called co-generation, produces electricity from natural gas
while using the exhaust to preheat a portion of the hospital's domestic hot
water - domestic hot water is used for cooking and cleaning.
Health Minister John Nilson, on behalf of Crown Investments Corporation
Minister Maynard Sonntag, started two microturbines to begin a two-year
pilot project that will evaluate the potential of co-generation for use in
other facilities in the future. The project will also further the
knowledge of options for distributed generation - the production of
electrical power on a small scale often at a consumer's site.
"This project is an excellent opportunity for both SaskPower and SaskEnergy
to gain practical experience in microturbine technology for co-generation,"
Nilson said. "This pilot project allows for further investigation into the
feasibility of distributed generation, which holds much promise in a
province as vast as Saskatchewan."
Today's announcement and start-up of the microturbines officially begins
the two-year pilot project. Total project costs of approximately $500,000
are being shared equally by SaskEnergy and SaskPower, with the Regina
General Hospital providing the test site.
"The Regina General Hospital's energy system is already state-of-the-art,
but these microturbines take things one step further in terms of energy
efficiency," President and Chief Executive Officer of the Regina Health
District Dwight Nelson said. "Generating electricity in this way lessens
green house gas emissions. As a health care organization, we view this as
another contribution we can make to the health of the population."
"The Government of Saskatchewan is always interested in energy conservation
initiatives," Saskatoon Greystone MLA and Legislative Secretary for Energy
Conservation to Premier Calvert Peter Prebble said. "Bringing SaskPower
and SaskEnergy together with the Regina Health District demonstrates our
government's commitment to the production of electricity in an
environmentally friendly manner."
This is the second pilot project currently underway in Saskatchewan using
microturbine technology. SaskPower and SaskEnergy are currently partnered
with Flatland Exploration Inc. in a distributed generation pilot project
near Carlyle that is investigating the feasibility of using flare gas -
usually burned off during oil and gas extraction - to power two
microturbines.
The Regina Health District, SaskEnergy and SaskPower will be showcasing
this technology at a provincial health care facilities conference in Regina
on October 28th-29th.
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For more information, contact:
Larry Christie Stephen King Lori Foster
SaskPower SaskEnergy Regina Health District
Regina Regina Regina
Phone: (306) 566-3167 Phone: (306) 777-9635 Phone: (306) 766-5289