The facility will produce solar PV Modules and Medium Voltage Power Stations. This plant will supply Samsung’s Ontario solar projects, such as the 100 megawatt (MW) Grand Renewable Energy Park in Haldimand County, Ontario, the 100 MW Sol-Luce Kingston Solar PV project in Kingston and Loyalist Township, Ontario, and future solar projects within the GEIA. The new facility will also be a hub for Canadian Solar to conduct research and product development associated with solar energy generation.
The Canadian Solar plant also ensures Samsung can move forward with engineering, procurement and construction jobs in its project communities around Ontario. In total, Samsung’s GEIA project will create 9,000 renewable energy jobs across the province.
Samsung and its partners will develop 300 MW of clean, renewable solar power in Ontario, part of a commitment to invest $5-billion in the development of 1,369 MW of renewable energy.
Canadian Solar becomes Samsung’s fourth renewable energy manufacturing partner in Ontario, joining Siemens in Tillsonburg, Ontario, CS Wind in Windsor, Ontario, and SMA in Toronto, Ontario. Together, the four manufacturing facilities will employ 900 manufacturing workers. Samsung will support all of its manufacturing partners’ efforts to develop export markets beyond the GEIA project.
QUICK FACTS
· The Green Energy Investment Agreement was signed in January, 2010, among Samsung, the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and the Government of Ontario. The agreement was recently amended to increase local control over renewable energy projects. Under the new terms of the GEIA, Samsung and its partners will invest $5-Billion in new investment in Ontario to and generate 1,369 megawatts of clean energy.
· Because of this Agreement, Ontario will see:
o New manufacturing: Samsung and its partners are constructing four manufacturing facilities to produce wind towers (Windsor) and blades (Tillsonburg), as well as solar modules (London) and inverters (Toronto) for their projects in Ontario. These facilities will also export Ontario-made products around the world – placing Ontario at the forefront of the global shift to clean power.
o New clean energy: 1,369 megawatts of renewable wind and solar energy will be created as a result of the Agreement, reducing Ontario’s dependence on dirty coal.
· By August 2014, the Independent Electricity System Operator is expecting more than 3,200 MW of additional renewable capacity to be connected to the grid — enough to power about 980,000 homes each year.
· Ontario is phasing out coal-fired generation, which made up less than three per cent of the province’s power generation in 2012 — down from 25 per cent in 2003.
QUOTES
“Samsung believes that renewable energy is a very important part of eliminating our dependence on dirty coal production and protecting the air that we breathe. We are very pleased to create 200 green jobs in London and 9,000 total jobs in communities across Ontario that have been hit hard by the global recession.”
- Ki-Jung Kim, Executive Vice President of Samsung C&T
“We are proud to be partnering with Samsung Renewable Energy to expand the use of solar energy while at the same time creating green manufacturing jobs in Canada. This latest transaction highlights our rapidly growing downstream solar power solutions business, as we develop manufacturing capabilities for Balance of Plant equipment, such as Medium Voltage Stations, while also conducting research in project solutions areas to reduce total project cost and improve performance. We are leveraging the scale afforded by our global leadership position, our experience and extensive resources to ultimately benefit Ontario economically through significant job creation and to provide a much needed sustainable, renewable source of energy."
- Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar
