Canada is on track to launch one of North America’s largest urban solar power projects with the Saamis Solar Park in Medicine Hat, Alberta. This ambitious 325-megawatt (MW) utility-scale solar farm will be built on a 1,600-acre brownfield site previously considered unsuitable for development due to its radioactive phosphogypsum waste. The project marks a significant step in Medicine Hat’s transition to clean, renewable energy.
Developed by DP Energy, the Saamis Solar Park is poised to harness Medicine Hat’s status as the sunniest city in Canada, receiving an average of 330 sunny days per year—more than the sunniest cities in the U.S. As Damian Bettles, DP Energy’s North America head of development, noted to Canada’s National Observer, “Not only is it a productive use of a large area of contaminated land, but it now also has the potential to contribute to the city’s energy transition to clean, renewable power.”
The solar farm is not just about clean energy but also environmental remediation. The phosphogypsum waste on the site, left over from the processing of phosphate ore into fertilizer, poses environmental challenges due to its potential to emit radon. By redeveloping this brownfield, the project transforms an area with limited development potential into a valuable resource for sustainable power.
Approved in 2021, the project was sold to Medicine Hat in 2024, with construction expected to begin soon. The first phase will add 75 MW of power to the grid. Once complete, the Saamis Solar Park will consist of over 600,000 solar panels, transformer stations, and access roads, all interconnected to the Alberta Interconnected Electric System (AIES). This clean energy source is expected to meet the peak demand of the city, powering residential, industrial, and commercial buildings, reducing approximately 350,000 tons of carbon emissions annually.
Medicine Hat’s solar venture places it among the largest urban solar projects in North America, second only to the Copper Mountain Solar Facility in Nevada (802 MW) and behind Alberta’s own Travers Solar Project (465 MW). This development signals a major step forward for Canada’s renewable energy initiatives, with Medicine Hat now positioning itself as a key player in the transition to a more sustainable future.
As Travis Tuchscherer, director of energy marketing and business analysis for Medicine Hat, explained, the city is also considering future additions like battery storage and more solar and wind projects to further strengthen its clean energy infrastructure. “Overall we are looking for proven technologies that can provide affordable power to our rate base and our own internal carbon compliance,” Tuchscherer said in an interview with Canada’s National Observer.
With its innovative use of a brownfield site and vast potential for renewable energy generation, the Saamis Solar Park is not only a milestone for Medicine Hat but also a beacon for urban sustainability across North America.
Image by Jukka Niittymaa from Pixabay
