April 15, 2008

NaiKun Group signs wind-farm training agreement with B.C. Institute of Technology

PRINCE RUPERT, B.C.

Proponents of an offshore wind farm in B.C.’s Hecate Strait have begun talks with two educational facilities about training local people to maintain the site.

Representatives from the NaiKun Wind Group hope the B.C. Institute of Technology and Northwest Community College can help fill about 200 construction jobs and some highly specialized maintenance positions for Canada’s first such project.

Company representatives recently spoke about their plans to directors at the Skeena Queen Charlotte Regional District.

NaiKun spokesman Hamish Marshall says the company has signed an agreement with BCIT and is working with the college to ensure that as many local workers as possible can be hired for the 30- to 50 maintenance jobs.

The company is proposing to spend more than $1 billion to install between 64 and 100 turbines off the east coast of Haida Gwaii and will be putting forward a bid to B.C. Hydro during its next call for green power projects.

The wind farm would be built eight to 20 kilometres offshore on about 65 square kilometres and may be operational by 2012.

Canadian Press

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