The Canadian branch of Pathfinder Clean Energy, also known as PACE Canada, announced late last month that it would move its headquarters from Vancouver to Calgary.
The company is known for the design and construction of solar arrays, including an increasing number of large-scale solar farms.
The relocation of its headquarters from Vancouver, which first opened in 2017 to enter the Canadian market, was very strategic, given that the company has several major solar projects recently approved by state regulators in Alberta.
These include the 61 MW Joffre solar project near the Joffre Petrochemical Complex in Lacombe County and the 10 MW Youngstown solar project.
Construction of both projects is expected to begin in 2022, and once completed, they will be connected to Alberta’s electricity grid and generate zero emission capacity for 22,000 homes. The plants will have an initial service life of 25 years and will reduce carbon emissions by 16,000 tons per year.
“We are very pleased to move our corporate headquarters to Alberta, as the region will pave the way for our new initiatives,” said Rob Denman, Executive Director of the PACE Group and President of the PACE Canada LP.
“Alberta is one of the best areas for business development for clean technology, and PACE makes it an ideal location for Canada’s future as we expand our presence in the clean energy sector through solar energy and move to more energy storage and green hydrogen.”
PACE Canada also said that Invest Alberta’s efforts to work closely with the company to provide information and analysis on federal and provincial policies and potential incentives attracted it to Calgary and linked the firm to local partners to help relocate it.
The state is trying to diversify its economy by expanding Alberta’s clean technology sector, which has the potential to create $ 61 billion in gross domestic product and 170,000 jobs by 2050.
Due to factors such as topography and climate, Alberta generally has more potential for large-scale solar projects than British Columbia. Alberta is home to a growing number of solar array projects, including future large-scale projects such as the 120 MW solar farm near Edmonton International Airport (YEG) and the Amazon-supported 80 MW solar farm near Calgary. Earlier this year, Amazon completed a solar installation on the roof of one of its distribution facilities near YEG.
“Alberta’s clean energy sector has grown tremendously over the past decade with high levels of capital investment,” said Rick Christianse, CEO of Invest Alberta.
“Alberta’s high-quality talent, competitive regulatory environment and low corporate taxes ensure that companies like PACE build and succeed in Alberta with unlimited speed.”
PACE Canada is co-owned by British parent company Pathfinder Clean Energy and German clean energy firm Goldbeck Solar.