West Fraser’s Investment in Renewable Energy Greens Up Alberta’s Electrical Grid

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West Fraser’s investment in a 10-year power purchase agreement for electricity generated at the Lanfine Wind project in Oyen, Alberta, is another step forward in sourcing renewable energy and lowering emissions in Alberta.

The Lanfine Wind Project adds new incremental, green energy to the Alberta electrical grid and was funded significantly through the agreement with West Fraser. Under the agreement, West Fraser will receive 50 per cent of the project’s capacity at 75 megawatts (MW), generating approximately 284,000 MW hours per year, which is equivalent to the electricity used in over 39,000 Alberta homes.

“By supporting renewable energy projects like Lanfine, we are helping reduce the carbon footprint of Alberta’s electrical grid, and in turn, reduce the carbon footprint of West Fraser operations across the province,” said Vince Martell, Manager Energy & Bioproducts.

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“This project is an excellent example of how we are integrating sustainability into our procurement strategy. The cost of the renewable, wind-generated electricity is similar to what we were paying for fossil fuel-generated electricity–but now we are receiving additional value by being able to address a portion of our scope 2 SBTi reduction targets.”
‍_{Keith Carter, Sr. Vice President, Western Canada}

The Lanfine Wind Project is West Fraser’s second long-term power purchase agreement with an Alberta-based renewable energy project. In 2019, West Fraser signed an agreement for solar-generated electricity from a project located in Taber, Alberta which generates approximately 40,000 MW hours per year of renewable energy. 

Scope 1, 2 & 3 Emissions Explained

Scope 1, 2 and 3 is a way of categorizing the different kinds of carbon emissions a company like West Fraser creates in our own operations, and in our wider value chain.

Our climate strategy is focused on measurement, evaluation and the prioritization of actions to decarbonize, with scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets validated by the internationally recognized Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in 2023. This strategy applies to all of our operations located in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Europe. 

The associated carbon benefits of wind-generated electricity through the Lanfine Wind Project power purchase agreement help meet our validated scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target.