Burchill Wind Farm Coming Alive

As construction continues, excitement builds for the history-making moment the turbines start turning

By Jessica DeLong, November 4, 2022

It is an exciting time for Saint John Energy and our partners in the Burchill Wind Project as we move ever closer to bringing an abundant supply of clean and renewable energy to the people of Saint John.

This is also a historic time: as Saint John Energy marks 100 years of serving the city, we’re also bringing online the first utility-scale wind farm in the city’s history.

We could not be more proud.

While construction has formally been underway for some time, the wind farm is now really starting to come alive.

We’re delighted with our partners Neqotkuk, formerly known as Tobique First Nation, and Natural Forces. They are building the wind farm and will own it, selling us the electricity it produces.

While construction has formally been underway for some time, the wind farm is now really starting to come alive.

A few weeks ago, blades for the turbines arrived by ship and then were transported by trucks to the site at the Spruce Lake Industrial Park.

Race to net-zero

And in a few weeks, the first of 10 turbines will start to go up as the partners target the end of December to begin the start-up process.

In the race to net-zero, this project will save 43,680 tonnes in Co2 emissions a year – that’s equal to taking nearly 13,500 cars off the road.

From that history-making moment when the turbines start turning, Saint John will be enjoying its first injection of utility-scale wind energy.

By the time it is fully operational in the early months of 2023, the 42-megawatt wind farm will generate enough clean wind power to supply about 15 per cent of Saint John.

In the race to net-zero, this project will save 43,680 tonnes in Co2 emissions a year – that’s equal to taking nearly 13,500 cars off the road.

And Burchill allows us to offer Renewable Energy Certificates, which offers the opportunity to certify your energy supply as clean. The City of Saint John, Irving Oil and Port Saint John have all purchased certificates to help them meet their net-zero goals.

New era of green energy

To prepare for this new era of green energy, Saint John Energy has been busier than ever.

We’ve completed upgrades to our substations and are now working on the distribution lines that will bring the power from Burchill in Lorneville into the core of the city.

We’ve replaced poles along King William Road, across the highway to the Manawagonish substation, and most of the way down the highway.

And, recently, we erected two steel poles – each more than 90 feet tall – on either side of Reversing Falls that will secure three wires that will carry the green electricity across the St. John River.

Later this month, a drone will carry a small line across the river that will then be used to pull across the larger distribution lines.

It’s all coming together!

There has been terrific enthusiasm for Burchill.

In the conversations I and others at Saint John Energy have been having with people in the community, there is both excitement and genuine interest in what it will mean for Saint John.

On a broader and wider scale, we know that Saint John is eager to embrace what Burchill will bring.

Overwhelming support for renewables

In our most recent customer survey, more than 95 per cent of citizens voiced support for renewable energy.

In the conversations I and others at Saint John Energy have been having with people in the community, there is both excitement and genuine interest in what it will mean for Saint John.

Among the reasons they support it include:

it helps address climate change;
leads to cleaner air and aids in the drive to net-zero carbon emissions;
promotes energy diversity;
it diversifies energy sources;
it is cost-effective and will help customers save money.

So, for us, the excitement isn’t just that Burchill is coming alive and will soon bring clean energy to our citizens. It’s also that the people of Saint John are cheering us on, enthusiastically embracing this new era of green energy for our city.

Flyaround of the first tower to go up on a very windy November 3, 2022. Flying a drone here is usually a challenge as it is almost always very windy here.