Lafarge Canada Inc. has entered into a purchase power agreement (PPA) with Calgary-based electricity company TransAlta Corp.
Lafarge will maximize this PPA to supply 100 GWh a year of wind power to the Exshaw cement plant.
“Cement manufacturing is an energy-intensive process, and we are considering all levers available to supply our operations with power from renewable sources of energy,” says Brad Kohl, president and CEO of Lafarge Western Canada.
“The PPA will cover 25 percent of Exshaw’s energy demands, depending on actual production volumes in 2022 and 2023. This agreement, first of its kind for Lafarge in Alberta, is an important step to utilizing higher amounts of renewable electricity at our facilities,” adds Cailee Ellis, head of sustainability and environment of Lafarge Western Canada.
Lafarge is in the final planning stages of their low carbon fuel project at Exshaw, which will support a lower specific net CO2 per ton of cement produced. The PPA with TransAlta provides electricity for this project. “TransAlta is pleased to provide competitive retail electricity solutions to our customers, like Lafarge, that can include power from our existing renewable assets in Alberta,” states Blain van Melle, EVP of Alberta business at TransAlta.
