Key Takeaways
- PROENERGY will develop, construct, own, and operate the 400-MW RIGS power plant.
- The facility will enhance grid reliability and reduce fossil fuel reliance.
- The project was developed in partnership between NB Power and NSMTC.
PROENERGY to Construct, Operate New 400-MW Peaking Facility in Canada
The Renewable Integration and Grid Security project is a PowerFLX installation driven by eight aeroderivative turbines designed to provide reliable backup for renewables and stabilize the grid.
PROENERGY was contracted to develop, construct, own, and operate the New Brunswick Power Corp. (NB Power) Renewable Integration and Grid Security (RIGS) project—a 400-MW PowerFLX installation driven by eight aeroderivative turbines—in Westmorland County, New Brunswick, Canada. The peaking facility, developed in partnership with NB Power and the North Shore Mi’kmaq Tribal Council (NSMTC), will operate under a power purchase agreement with NB Power as the offtaker for 25 years.
"At NB Power, our commitment is to provide secure and sustainable energy for New Brunswickers. Launching this generation expansion project addresses the pressing need to enhance our grid's reliability and security to meet the unprecedented growth in energy demand," said Lori Clark, President, CEO, and Chief Nuclear Officer at NB Power. "Partnering to secure additional electricity and capacity through this project ensures we can confidently navigate the energy transition, providing New Brunswickers with the reliable electricity they need, when they need it most."
The facility will minimize impact on the surrounding environment due to its proximity to existing transmission and fuel infrastructure while reducing provincial reliance on oil, coal, and imported power.
"This project is an essential part of a clean, reliable, affordable power grid, and it's a great example of our approach to Indigenous-led, responsible development," said Jim Ward, General Manager of NSMTC. "We need clean energy, and we need to keep costs down and keep the power on. We've seen in other places how too much renewable energy can cause grid failures or high costs. To avoid those issues, this load-following power plant is a perfect complement to New Brunswick wind and solar power now and in the future. PROENERGY has been a great partner on this. We welcome other developers to get in touch with us."
The project will enter commercial operations in 2028.
"Our team has a deep understanding of Eastern Canada,” said Jeff Canon, PROENERGY President and CEO. “PROENERGY appreciates the trust placed in us by NB Power and the NSMTC to provide the reliable fast-start power they need.”
RIGS project is a new 400-MW peaking facility developed in partnership with NB Power and the North Shore Mi’kmaq Tribal Council. Credit: PROENERGY
At POWEGEN 2025, Paul DiMascio, Chief Engineer at PROENERGY, shared insights into the case study on a GE LM6000 selective catalyst reduction (SCR) pilot at Wattbridge Energy’s Braes Bayou facility using EnergyLink’s direct ammonia injection (DAI) system.
Compared to a traditional ammonia injection system, a DAI system “actually dropped the amount of NOx going out the stack by 5%,” DiMascio said. “EnergyLink provided the test unit that had both the standard type of ammonia injection system and the DAI on the same powertrain, on the same days, with the same engine, producing exactly the same amount of power—we could compare back-to-back, and we got a 5% improvement.”
EnergyLink’s pilot at the Braes Bayou facility reduced NOx by 5%, resulting in approximately the same slip, and kept the engine performing exactly the same. “So, it was lower cost, a lot smaller, and it kept the performance up and reduced the amount of emissions,” he said.
DiMascio explained that the multi-pollutant catalyst material enabled EnergyLink to move the injection point upstream. “In conventional systems, you have to be downstream of the CO, or it will oxidize the ammonia, which is not what we want. So, the combination of this new technology and the design means that the cost of electricity goes down for the power plant manufacturer, the operator, and the electricity consumer,” DiMascio said.
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