Alberta's clean electricity turbine a Canadian first, ENMAX says
A unique piece of technology that has recently been completed in Crossfield, Alta., aims to take a chunk out of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by generating electricity.
The hybrid electric gas turbine, built by Calgary-based ENMAX Energy, combines a battery energy storage system with an existing natural gas-fueled turbine to provide standby electricity without the need to burn fuel.
"A hybrid electric gas turbine operates much like a hybrid car," the company said in a statement released last week. "When stopped at a red light, the hybrid car engine doesn't burn fuel while it waits. As soon as the light turns green, the battery kicks in and the car starts running instantly while the engine subsequently starts up and takes over."
The turbine, located at ENMAX's Crossfield Energy Centre, follows the same type of process, ensuring the gas turbine runs for a shorter period of time.
Lonnie Enns, senior vice-president of ENMAX says the innovation helps the company assume a leading role in the province's carbon future.
"We believe battery storage will play an increasingly important role in providing safe, clean and reliable energy to Albertans, and the hybrid technology deployed at Crossfield can serve as a model for other natural gas facilities across Canada," he said.
(Supplied/ENMAX)
EQUIVALENT OF TAKING 10,000 CARS OFF THE ROAD
The technology is expected to reduce the run time of the turbine by approximately 80 per cent, equating to a reduction of 45,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year.
ENMAX says it cost $14.6 million to build the system, with half of that covered by the province's Industrial Efficiency Challenge.
"The government of Alberta knows that technology can help industry reduce emissions and operating costs. That's why funding was delivered through Emissions Reduction Alberta for first-of-its-kind demonstrations and deployment to bring ground-breaking solutions for real emissions reductions to our industry," said Minister of Environment and Parks Jason Nixon in a release.
The turbine is unique technology and continues to put Calgary on the map in terms of clean energy generation.
"Calgary should be the centre of the clean energy revolution," said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
"I'm thrilled that ENMAX is the first in Canada to implement this kind of technology."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.