This trailblazing project is 100% owned by Fort Nelson First Nation through the economic development corporation Deh Tai LP.
The project sits on a 40+ year old gas field that has long been a cornerstone of the regional economy but is facing economic decline.
Fort Nelson’s islanded electricity grid is currently 100% reliant on fossil fuels. By repurposing this depleted gas field into a renewable energy source, this project aligns with the Province of BC and the Government of Canada’s net-zero by 2050 carbon emissions target.
The first full-sized geothermal production well has been drilled to a depth of over two kilometers and an existing disused gas well has been given a new life as a geothermal injection well. Near-term project activities include production testing, data analysis and wellfield design.
The project will stimulate spin-off economic development opportunities and advance energy security for Fort Nelson First Nation and the surrounding region. The facility will host a closed-loop binary system using Organic Rankine Cycle turbines, with geothermal fluid estimated at 120°C. It is currently anticipated that the project will be 7-15 MW in size, producing enough electricity to serve approximately 10,000 homes.
Tu Deh-Kah Geothermal is an exciting example of Indigenous leadership in an innovative and emerging clean energy industry opportunity via a community-led project. The project provides a significant opportunity to contribute sustainable economic growth and energy independence in a region that has historically had to live with the realities of boom-and-bust resource development. Tu Deh-Kah Geothermal will result in not only the production of clean baseload power production but will act as a catalyst for local job creation skills development, and industry leadership. Its greatest promise may be as a bellwether for future geothermal energy development projects that decarbonize the economies of Northwestern Canada.
This project has received support from the following entities: Natural Resources Canada, Western Economic Diversification Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, the Province of BC, and the New Relationship Trust.
