Ninety thousand to 180,000
person-hours are generally required
to complete road construction,
foundation construction and erection
of the wind turbine generators.
service roads is required. Temporary access roads are usually between
10 metres to 30 metres wide, with an additional six to 10-metre compacted
area on the sides to accommodate the turning radius of equipment.
Permanent service roads are usually between five to seven
metres wide and generally around 30 to 40 kilometres of permanent
service roads would remain in order to provide 24/7 access to the wind
turbines for operation and maintenance. Ninety thousand to 180,000
person-hours are generally required to complete road construction,
foundation construction and erection of the wind turbine generators.
The cost of building roads for wind
energy projects in Saskatchewan
The vehicles required to build temporary access and permanent service
roads on wind projects are:
• Backhoes
• Graders
• Dump trucks
• Compaction rollers
The materials required to build the roads on wind projects are
typical granular materials. The following typical considerations
contribute to the cost of building these roads:
• The volume of cross-section required for “cut-and-fill” excavation
for road grade and the cost of doing that work.
• The width and depth of the strip, the cost of removing the topsoil
from the total strip (the road and ditch cuts on either side) before
the road grade and the cost of replacing the topsoil after the
road grade.
• The lift of the gravel, the cost of the gravel and the cost of
transporting the gravel to the project.
• The length, number and cost of installing any culverts.
• The fees associated with engineers.
• The fees associated with other costs such as signage, permits, etc.
Requirements to build temporary
access and permanent service roads in
Saskatchewan
If work is done is within 90 metres of a provincial highway, a permit
needs to be submitted to the Ministry of Highways and
Infrastructure. Work that requires a permit includes, but is not limited
to, building a structure, excavations, erecting signs within 400
metres of the highway property line and constructing approaches
to a highway.
Municipalities have authority over where and when roads can be
built within their jurisdiction. In order to develop roads on private
property, the wind project must include these road plans to be approved
by the relevant municipality. Municipalities may also lease
roads if they follow the proper procedure.
Road maintenance
Where the operation and maintenance of a project requires the usage
of municipal roads, a municipality and developer can enter into
a road maintenance agreement. This agreement may allow the developer
to contribute to the loss of the road life that may be attributed
to the damages from significant hauls it may have made, while
not bearing the cost of the entire road maintenance and ensuring
the condition of the road is satisfactory for its operations.
The road ahead
Independent power producers (IPPs) have built several wind energy
projects in Saskatchewan and many more will be built between now
and 2030 to help the Government of Saskatchewan and SaskPower
meet their targets to reduce emissions. The time is now to start making
contacts and connections with IPPs to create the opportunity to
participate in the construction of roads on these wind projects.
Chad Eggerman and the Projects Industry Group at
Miller Thomson can assist you in understanding the
role of stakeholders in wind projects in Saskatchewan
and how procurement on IPP projects happens.
DID YOU KNOW?
Reference
1. www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2016/september/19/wind-project-denied-to-protect-birds
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