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6TuesdayAugust122014InuvikthrilledwithmovementonfibrelineImprovedtechnologytobolstersatellitebusinessmayorIndustryCommunicationsByMEAGANWOHLBERGCommunitiesupanddowntheMackenzieValleyareexcitedattheprospectofbeinghookeduptoanewhigh-speedtelecom-municationslinebutperhapsnonemorethanInuvikwherethepromiseofgreaterband-widthcouldopenthedoortomajoreconomicopportunitiesforthetownssatellitefacility.InternationalcompaniesareactivelyeyeingtheNorth-erncommunityastheglobesnextmajorsatellitehotspotevenmoresonowthatacon-tracthasbeenawardedfortheconstructionofabre-opticlinethatwouldgranttheexist-ingInuviksatellitestationthebandwidthneededtotakeoffinthesectorsofremotesens-ingnationaldefenceandglobalcommunication.Oursatelliteoperationsrightnowaremaxedoutunderexist-ingtechnologiessaidInuvikMayorFloydRoland.Currentlyinformationhastobedown-loadedfromthesatellitesandthenmailedtotheownersondiscswhichistimeconsum-ingandburdensome.Astheinternationalcom-munitylookstoustoaddmoresatellitereceiverstationstheonequestionthatcomesupisdoyouhavebreWemakepeopleawarethatthatsintheprocessandconstructionwillstartsoonRolandsaid.Nowthatthecontracthasbeenis-sued...theyrenowtakingtheirnextsteps.ThegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesrecentlyselectedtheproponentthatwilldesignconstructnanceop-erateandmaintainthenewMackenzieValleyFibreLinkMVFLstretchingbetweenFortSimpsonandTuktoyaktuk.NorthernLightsFibreCon-sortiumajointventurebetweenNorthwestelLedcorDevel-opmentsLtd.andLTSInfra-structureServicesLtd.wasawardedthecontracttotakeontheprojectestimatedtocost70millionandexpectedtobeoperationalbysummer2016.ConstructionisslatedtobegininJanuarystartingwiththesectionalongthewinterroadsystembetweenWrigleyandFortGoodHopefollowedbysummerconstructionbetweenWrigleyandMcGillLakelo-catedsouthofFortSimpson.TheremainingstretchbetweenFortGoodHopeandInuvikwillbedonethefollowingwinterandthelastpiecetoTuktoyak-tukwillbelaidoncethehigh-wayiscompleted.SeanCraignancialpolicyanalystfortheGNWTsaidthepublicly-ownedpieceofinfra-structurewillpayforitselfoverthenext20yearsimprovingtelecommunicationsincom-munitiesupanddowntheval-leyspecicallybybolsteringtheknowledge-basedeconomyinInuvik.TheresalotofinternationalandnationalinterestingrowingthatsatellitefacilityandthatiscertainlyreallygoodnewsforInuvikanditsreallygoodnewsforthisprojectaswellasfarasunderstandingthattheuserbasealongthevalleyisntthatlargeanditwouldtakeanawfullongtimeforaterritoryof40000tocomebackwiththemoneytopaythatoffIwouldthinkCraigsaid.Aspartoftheapplicationprocessproponentswerere-quiredtoidentifywaysinwhichlocalpeopleandcom-paniescouldbenetthroughemploymentfromtheprojectintheconstructionoperationandmaintenancephases.Thatwasaprettyimpor-tantpartforusCraigsaid.Wevebeendoingthecon-sultationpartforprettyclosetotwoyearsandthemainthingweveheardalongtheMack-enzieValleyiswewantourpeopletohavework.AccordingtoCraigNorthernLightshasbeenincommunicationwithallthedifferentcommunitiesaboutpossibilitiesforworkandaspartoftheGNWTsmonitor-ingoftheprojecttheconsor-tiumwillhavetoshowitiscontinuinglocalinvolvementthroughouttheinstallationandoperationoftheline.WhileInuvikbusinessescouldpotentiallybenetfromconstructionopportunitiesRolandsaiditismorelikelythecommunitywillreaptheprojectsrewardsonceitisoperational.MajorsatellitecompanieslonginterestedinInuvikbasedonitsnear-perfectglobalpo-sitioningarenowlookingatthetownwithgreaterinterestandbeginningtodrawtheirownconcreteplansforhowtheywillgetinvolvedoncethebreislaid.Wevehadacommunityvisitforthelastfewdaysbyoneofthecompanieswhosverylargeintheindustrytalk-ingaboutwellletsseeifthisisacommunitythatcanworkforusRolandsaidlastThurs-day.Sotheyrepreparingtogetinformationreadytoseeifwellmakethelist.RolandisalsohopingtohostascienceconferenceinthewintertopotentiallygetmoreplayersthinkingaboutsettingupshopinInuvik.ApartfromattractinginternationalbusinessRo-landsaidthecommunityisalsoworkingtoensuretrainingop-portunitieswillbemadeavail-abletolocalstobeemployedinthemaintenanceandoperationofthetechnology.Wevebeeninconstantcon-tactwiththefederalgovernmentwhenitcomestotheirsatelliteoperation...andtalkingtothemabouttheneedtocommuni-catenowwithoureducationboardsandcouncilsaswellastheAuroraCollegeboardtoseewheretheycanadaptorsetupprogramsforpeopletostreamlineintothemandbereadyforsomeoftheworkthatwillcomeourwayhesaid.AdditionallyastheresearchcommunitygrowsinInuviksowillshoot-offbusinessandknowledgeopportunitiesfortherestofInuviksresidentsthemayorsaid.Thiscanchangethedi-rectionofoureconomicsinasense.Rightnowwevebeenveryreliantonoilandgaswhenitsboomorbust.WevebustagainRolandsaid.Sothiswillchangethatsubstan-tially.Insteadofgoingintoaboomorbustcyclewewillbeabletooperatethesefacili-tiesyear-roundtheyllneedpeopletomaintainthemandasmorecountriesgetinvolvedandbusinessesgetestablishedthatllbeanotherthing.SahtuseeksrenewablestooffsethighenergycostsColvilleLakesolarprojecttodisplacenearlyquarteroffueluseIndustrySolarEnergyByMEAGANWOHLBERGAfteryearsspentstrugglingwiththehighestenergycostsintheentireterritoryColvilleLakeistakingahugebiteoutofitsfuelconsumptionwiththerstbatterystoragesolarprojectintheNWT.Thepilotprojectwhichisexpectedtodisplace22percentofthedieselcurrentlyconsumedforelectricitywillgeneratemorethan57000kilowatt-hourskWhofpowerperyearforthegrow-ingSahtucommunityandputanendtothefrequentoutagesthathavebeenplaguingresi-dentsoverthepastyear.LastyearwehadquiteanumberofoutagesinColvilleandpartofitisbecauseitsanolddieselplantwhichneedstobereplaced.Sotheydidde-signanewdieselplantwhichisgoinginnextsummerandinadditiontothatdieselplanttheydecidedtoputinbatter-iesMyraBerrubmanagerofenergyserviceswiththeNTPowerCorp.NTPCsaidoftheprojectbeinginstalledthismonth.Thebatterieswillsortofabsorbthishighloadrequirementsowelldoawaywiththeseoutages.Thenewsolararraylocatedontheoldairportrunwaywillhavethecapacitytogenerate54kWofelectricity.Becausethecommunitysaverageloadisonly50kWtheexcesspowergeneratedwillbestoredbythebatteriesandusedtodis-placedieselduringthewintermonthswhensunlightislimitedbyshorterdaysandsnowfall.Withoutthebatteryweprobablywouldbewastingalotofpowerthatsbeinggeneratedfromthesolarbe-causewejustwontbeabletouseitallthetime.Nowbe-causeofthebatterieswellbeabletostorethatenergyBerrubsaid.Thetotalcostforthesolarpanelswasaround350000withapproximately700000moreforthebatteries.Thecon-tractoralsodesignedspecialracksforthearraytotiltthepanelsverticallyduringthewintertopreventsnowbuildup.BerrubsaidColvilleLakewaschosenbecauseofitshighpowercostsandbecausethecurrentdieselplantwasindireneedofreplacement.Ratherthanbuildanewfossilfuel-reliantenergysourceNTPCdecidedtoequipitwithrenew-ablecapacitytooffsetcostsinthethermalcommunity.AswellNTPCplanstoatleastdoublethesizeoftheproj-ectnextyearbringingthesolargenerationuptonearlyhalfofthecommunityspowerneeds.Apartfromdecreasingcostsforresidentstheprojectisalsoexpectedtosave41000litresofdieselperyearortheequiva-lentof1250tonnesofgreen-housegasemissionsoverits30yearlifespan.When-notif-theprojectissuccessfulBerrubsaidNTPCplanstolooktoitasamodelforotherthermalcommuni-tiesaroundtheterritorysuchasJeanMarieRiverintheDe-hchoasperthegovernment-ledNWTSolarStrategy.Wewouldliketoreplicateitinsomeofthesmallercom-munitiesshesaid.AlongwithsolarColvilleLakeisalsobecomingthetest-inggroundforwindpotential.NTPCisnowmeasuringthewindpotentialforthecom-munitytoseehowmuchpowercouldbegeneratedthatway.SahtudiscussinghydropotentialWhileColvilleLakeisinthespotlightforrenewablesintheregionotherSahtucommunitiesarealsobeingeyedforenergysavingsspe-cicallyinrelationtosmall-scalehydro.ATCOElectriciscurrentlyindiscussionswiththeSahtuDeneCouncilaboutapotentialhydrokineticsprojectinoneoftheregionsmanyrivers.ThecompanymadeapresentationlastweekduringtheSahtuAs-semblyinFortGoodHope.Whatthesethingslooklikeistheyrelongcylinderswithafaninthemiddleandwhattheydoissitonthebottomoftheriverbedandasthewaterpassesthroughthemitturnsthefanandgenerateselectricityintoshoreandbacktothecom-munitysaidMichaelDixonwhoworksforATCOinbusi-nessdevelopment.Hydrokineticsprojectsareabletoremainintheriverevenduringwinterandgeneratepowerbasedonthespeedoftheriversowmeaningfast-movingsectionsaretargetedforsuchturbines.Itssetupsoboatscangoovertopofthesethingsshcangoaroundthemorthroughthemandtheyredeepenoughsowhenicebreak-upoccursitwillnotbeimpactedbyit.WhenyouactuallylookatthesetestsitesyoucantseetheturbineatallDixonsaid.DiscussionsongoingforaboutayearareinearlystagesandneitheracommunitynorariverhasbeenelectedasoptimalasofyetbutSahtuMLANormanYakeleyasaidallcommunitiesremainopentothepossibilityofbringingdowndieselcosts.NTPCsubsidizedratesforthermalcommunitiesare27.25centsperkWhfortherst600kWhafterwhichusersarerequiredtopay57.28centskWh.Theyreopentoitbecauserightnow...thepowerratesareprettyhighforthecommu-nitymembersYakeleyasaid.TheyreatthemercyofNTPCastotherates...Itdbegoodtohaveanalternative.MaybewithATCOsproposalstheSahtucouldpossiblylookataconsiderationofowningtheirownpowercorporation.ElectricitycostsinColvilleLakearethehighestintheNWT.PhotocourtesyofGNWTPhotoTerryHalifaxTheMackenzieValleyFibreLineisexpectedtogrowInuviksexistingsatellitefacility.