SaskPower to link northern and southern grids with new transmission project

SaskPower will build a new transmission link between Saskatchewan’s northern and southern electrical grids in a move the provincial government says will improve reliability and support future growth in the far north.

The Government of Saskatchewan approved SaskPower’s North-South Transmission Systems Interconnection project, which will see two new transmission lines built between the southern system near the E.B. Campbell Hydroelectric Station and the northern system near the Island Falls Hydroelectric Station.

The lines will each be about 250 kilometres long. SaskPower said the project is intended to strengthen reliability and energy security for northern communities and industry while supporting mining and other economic development in the province’s north.

At present, Saskatchewan’s northern and southern grids operate independently and are connected through Manitoba. The northern system is also far from most of the province’s generating sources, which are located in the south.

Minister Responsible for SaskPower Jeremy Harrison said the interconnection is a key part of the province’s transmission and energy security strategy.

SaskPower president and CEO Rupen Pandya said the Crown utility is continuing to focus on investments that support reliability, safety and load growth across Saskatchewan.

Preliminary planning, design work and engagement with Indigenous rightsholders and the public has already begun.

The federal government has conditionally approved up to $18.075 million in funding for pre-construction planning and design through Natural Resources Canada’s First and Last Mile Fund.

Federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said the project will help strengthen Saskatchewan’s transmission network and support jobs, Indigenous partnership, mining and critical minerals development.

The transmission lines are expected to be in service by 2032.