Winds from the North

NaiKun Wind Energy Group Inc. and the Council of the Haida Nation have formed a partnership that could lead to the development of Canada’s first offshore wind energy project.

The NaiKun project is located in British Columbia’s Hecate Strait, between Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands) and the mainland.

The partnership will be a commercial limited partnership to operate and maintain the NaiKun wind energy project after it has been built–with construction only set to begin in 2012, this is just a first step in a long process. Why long? Environmental Assessments can take years at the best of times, and wind energy is always prickly. Approvals will also have to come from both the federal and provincial bodies, a redundancy that has slowed down other projects in the past.

The project is also contingent on Electricity Purchase Agreement from BC Hydro.

For now, this project is still just a possibility. The comprehensive limited partnership agreement that’s been reached means revenue sharing, environmental stewardship, and employment and economic development opportunities for the Haida.

Globe-Net reported that the Haida Nation and NaiKun Wind Operating Inc., a subsidiary of NaiKun, will participate equally in the partnership both in terms of ownership and economic value. NaiKun Wind Operating Inc. is the designated General Partner.