'We're already doing it': Quebec company touts wind power in Canada's Arctic

A company that has designed a wind turbine inNunavik,in northern Quebec, says the same technology would work in Nunavut and other remote areas of theArctic.

Tugliq Energy says itswind turbine has cut costs at Glencore's Raglan Mine, lowered the mine'suse of diesel, and minimized itscarbon footprint. Tugliqnow wants to bring the same technology to mine sites in Nunavut,such asTMAC'sHope Bay mine, and communities across the North.

"We're already doing it renewable energy is available today and can be installed in the Arctic," saidLaurent Abbatiello, CEO of the Quebec-based Tugliq Energy.

"It is feasible technically and there's also strong business cases in many occurrences where it's going to be profitable."

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Raglan Mine is a large nickel mining complex in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec, approximately 100 kilometres south of Deception Bay.

In 2014, Tugliq Energy constructeda 120metre high wind turbine and storage facility at theRaglan mine site,which was heavily dependent on diesel fuel.

The turbinetakes advantage of the high winds in the area, andsaved the mine about 2.1 million litres of diesel in its first year of operation.

Glencore predicts that it will save the companymore than $40 million in fuel costs over 20years.

Challenges of building on permafrost

Abbatiello says building in the Arctic was challenging and methods used in places such asMontreal couldn't work inthe North.

"It was quite difficult.There was a couple of challenges that we needed to overcome," saidAbbatiello.

For one thing,the foundation for theturbine had to be re-designed, as atraditional concrete foundation was not going to work. Concrete would have been five to seven times more expensive inNunavik compared to elsewhere,Abbatiellosaid.

Thewind turbine was therefore built on steel structures above ground, anchored by 12 beamsdriven deep in the ground, making it a wind turbine on stilts.

"We did not invent anything," saidAbbatiello, who admits the technology was inspired by how other buildings are constructed in the Arctic.

"We are re-using what is known to work the best."

The company also had to import all itsequipment and tools during the short shipping season.

"You can't even forget a screw, otherwise you have to get on a plane,go back to Montreal to buy a screw, and come back,"Abbatiello said.

In the end, Tugliq had to build the wind turbine in three short months, before the weather becameunmanageable.

The wind turbine includes a flywheel, battery system and hydrogen storage tanks that help to store and regulate the energy flow and eliminate the possibility of a system shutdown.

All told, the project took threeyears from conception to completion, and cost $22 million with some of the funding coming from the federal and Quebec governments.

Possible for Nunavut?

Tugliq Energy has also done preliminary studies in Nunavut, to determine the technology's feasibility there. Studies have been donein the territory's smallest community, Grise Fiord, and its largest,Iqaluit.

Meanwhile,TMACResources has said it'sconsidering using the same wind technology deployed inNunavikat its Hope Bay Mine in Nunavut.

"We do believe renewable energy is possible for Nunavut," saidAbbatiello."It's very possible to replicate the same kind of concept."

According to Abbatiello, the main barrier is overcoming the skepticism surrounding green energy.

"The technology has evolved so much that it is now completely feasible," he said,pointing out that the wind turbines and solar panels designed for the Arctic today are very different than models from 15 or20 years ago.

He adds that another barrier in Nunavutis the managementofutilities.

"A utility has the mandate to ensure grid stability and power delivery to the end user. So the risk appetite is maybe less than the risk appetite that a private company may have," he said.

Another hurdle is thecost, butAbbatiellobelievesthat couldbe overcome by redirecting diesel subsidies toward renewable energy.