Canada pumps CAD117 million into trio of Nova Scotia battery storage projects

The Canadian Federal Government has announced it is allocating more than $117 million for the development of three BESS projects in the province of Nova Scotia on the eastern edge of the country.

The trio of projects will be developed by local electric utility Nova Scotia Power Inc., which will receive CAD 117.6 million ($85 million). All three BESS sites will have a power output of 50 MW and storage capacity of 200 MWh. They will be located in Bridgewater, Spider Lake, and White Rock, and the region of Nova Scotia will use some of the funding to update its grid.

The funding is part of a larger tranche, worth a total of $192 million, that the government awarded to various renewables projects in the region. Three wind projects with a combined capacity of 217.6 MW will receive $25 million each.

The money comes from the Government of Canada’s Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program (SREPs). The $4.5 billion program aims to modernize the entire country’s energy system and help it make the transition to cleaner, more affordable electricity for citizens. Predevelopment funding for the BESS projects has been provided by the government’s $250 million Electricity Predevelopment Program.

Commenting on the Nova Scotia funding decision, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson, said, “The innovative work being done in Nova Scotia is an excellent example of how local companies, through research and collaboration, are creating clean, reliable and affordable energy grids that lower emissions and strengthen the economy in communities across Canada.”

Battery development has been ramping up in Canada in recent times. In July of this year, ESS News reported on several planned facilities, including a massive 150 MW / 705 MWh project in Nova Scotia.

To take advantage of the battery boom, Wilkinson has allocated $10.15 million to establish a battery innovation laboratory at Canada’s Dalhousie University. The institution is already known for its battery scientists and is a base for internationally respected researchers, Michael Metzger and Chongyin Yang.

They will lead the new center, which will create next-generation battery cells, as well as provide training to the future battery specialists the country requires to accelerate its energy transition.