FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –
RAYMOND, ALBERTA, June 17, 2025 – Irrican Power Ltd. a renewable energy producer, comprised of the St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID) and Raymond Irrigation District (RID) is thrilled to announce the commissioning of the Raymond enhanced Battery and Renewables (“eBAR”) Project. The eBAR facility is co-located with the Raymond Irrican Hydropower Plant, approximately 6 km south of the town of Raymond. The new facility consists of 15.4MW/30.8MWh of lithium-ion battery storage systems, that has the ability to both charge from the Irrican Raymond Hydropower plant or from the Alberta grid opportunistically to optimize revenue for the facility.
The eBAR project was initiated in early 2022, started construction in September of 2024, and began commercial operations in May of 2025, just prior to the start of the irrigation season. The project will allow Irrican to generate additional revenue through the Province’s Ancillary Services and energy-only markets, as well as help to manage grid curtailments. The facility will be utilized to support the Alberta Electric System Operator’s (AESO) increasing demands for grid reliability services.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place June 25, 2025 to celebrate Irrican’s latest investment in green energy and sustainability commencing commercial operations.
Quotes:
“I am thrilled for this Battery Energy Storage System to come online. The project will create an additional revenue stream for Irrican to continue to support the network of irrigation infrastructure within the SMRID and RID using green energy. The BESS project will allow Irrican to store electricity from the grid and renewable hydroelectric and release it back to the grid as energy is needed. This asset is an investment in Alberta’s agriculture industry and aligns with SMRID and Irrican’s commitment to support sustainable communities, environment and agriculture with water.”
- David Westwood, President, Irrican Power Ltd. and SMRID General Manager
“TERIC Power is proud to be a part of this project alongside Irrican Power. Installing a Battery Energy Storage System behind an existing seasonal hydropower asset creates the opportunity to fully utilize the grid infrastructure year-round. We look forward to supporting Irrican in the long-term operation of the asset and contributing to the continued legacy of Irrican and SMRID in Alberta.”
- Kevin Gilbank, President and CEO, TERIC Power Ltd.
Quick Facts:
- Irrican Power Ltd. (formerly the Irrigation Canal Power Cooperative Ltd.) was formed in 1992 to develop hydropower projects on the existing irrigation infrastructure in Southern Alberta.
- Irrican owns 3 hydroelectric facilities and 4 solar sites.
- Located on the south shore of Raymond Reservoir, the BESS site is supplied by a diversion canal constructed upstream of Milk River Ridge Reservoir.
- Irrican’s hydropower stations are located at several sites along SMRID’s main canal benefitting both the SMRID and the RID, who own Irrican Power Ltd. When all the hydro plants are operating at full capacity, Irrican produces 36 MW of Eco-Logo Certified Green Power, which is enough to power 27,000 homes.
More information:
Irrican Power:
IRRICAN Power Ltd. was created in 1992 to develop hydropower projects on the existing water conveyance (irrigation) infrastructure in Southern Alberta. The Irrigation Canal Power Cooperative Ltd. (Now Irrican Power Ltd.) was formed in 1992 to harness the power of the water flowing in the St. Mary River Irrigation District’s Main Canal. In addition to hydropower, Irrican has added 4 solar production sites to its renewable energy portfolio. Irrican Power Ltd. is owned by the Raymond Irrigation District (RID) and the St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID).
TERIC:
TERIC is an innovative developer, builder, owner, and operator of BESS projects. TERIC is a pioneer in utilizing proven energy storage technologies in innovative commercial and technical applications. Led and advised by a team of energy storage experts and industry leaders, TERIC has worked to design and build innovative storage-enabled clean energy projects that have helped TERIC to assist in the energy transition in Alberta. Noteworthy accomplishments include conceptualization and development of 135MW+ of BESS projects currently in operation and a development portfolio of over 300 MW of BESS projects across Canada. Incorporated in 2013, TERIC is a Canadian-controlled private corporation with headquarters in Calgary, Alberta.
URICA:
URICA is an independent energy management firm that helps clients strategically manage risk and exposure related to the energy market by providing commercial services for physical supply and price exposure for electricity and energy commodities. Headquartered in Calgary, URICA delivers value to clientele across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario through its robust electricity market-based service offerings. For Irrican’s new Battery Energy Storage System, URICA will act as the 24/7 dispatch agent and through a separate URICA entity will also be the provider of commercial optimization services.
BESS