Providence Bay & Spring Bay Wind

Providence Bay & Spring Bay Wind Farm

In 2003, discussions with the Township of Central Manitoulin, Ministry of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Canada, local residents, and M'Chigeeng First Nation had begun. The plan was to build a wind farm in the Providence Bay and Spring Bay area. In the early months of 2004, The Schneider Power Corporation had started to get the ball rolling faster with the project and by the summer of 2004 a meteorological test tower was installed on the site just east of Spring Bay. The Schneider Power Corporation was incorporated in 1998, and is a privately owned company that is focusing on establishing wind power generation facilities. Since 2000 they have been involved with existing projects within Canada and Internationally as well as researching the feasibility of the wind farms.

After over a year of study at the new proposed site near Spring Bay, the meteorological test tower was taken down and the access roads to the first 2 wind turbines were constructed. Excavation of the area was needed to accomidate the 62 foot diameter, concrete base (mud slab), with a second section on top with rebar reinforcement weighing at 24 tons. To gain a solid footing for the wind turbines, the footings had to be poured onto the bed rock 14 feet below the surface.

The sections of the first wind tower began to arrive on Tuesday, October 3. The heavier and larger sections came onto the island via Little Current, and the turbine, blades, and rotor came across on the Chi-Cheemaun from southern Ontario. The sections of the towers are made out of steel, and the blades themselves are made of fiberglass, balsa wood. and foam. The turbines that are used in these towers are a direct drive that produce 800 kilowatts per hour and have no gear box. The sections and the turbines themselves are manufactured by Enercon GmbH of Germany. Construction of the first wind tower began that day and was completed 3 days later. The parts for the second tower began to arrive on October 6th with the last section hoisted into place on October 9th. To do the heavy lifting, a 640 ton crane along with a 100 ton crane was used. The lower section of the tower is approximatly 60 tons, the 3 blades together with the generator is about 32 tons putting one tower well over the 100 ton mark.

Installation of electrical components and cables have to be dealt with before the wind farm can be operational which should be the early part of November.

Schneider Power Corporation plans to build a total of 8 wind turbines for the Providence Bay & Spring Bay Wind Farm producing a power capacity of 13.6 MW (megawatts) to the area hydro grid. With that capacity it would power approximately 5200 homes. The anticipated life of the project is 20 to 25 years. The wind turbines would be refitted after such time with new technology if the economics of wind power remain viable.

We welcome the new wind farm to our area, and wish great success for the Schneider Power Corporation.

More detailed information on the wind farm will be added from day to day.