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 kilometres, 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 not only in the production of clean baseload power but also 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 Natural Resources Canada, Western Economic Diversification Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, the Province of BC, and the New Relationship Trust.