Saskatchewan to extend lifetimes of coal-fired power plants

• 6 months ago (2025-06-19)
• David Flin

Coal 344 North America 1064

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The government of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan has announced that it plans to use coal-fired power as a ‘bridge’ to nuclear baseload power generation.

Jeremy Harrison, Saskatchewan’s Minister for Crown Investments Corporation responsible for SaskPower , said that while the province remains committed to building a nuclear-based net-zero power grid by 2050, the province is moving towards an “all-of-the-above approach” to meet projected growth in power demand.

Harrison said: “We have made the strategic decision that our priorities for SaskPower will be reliable and affordable power generation along with energy security. This led to a fundamental reconsideration of the future role of coal in our system. The certainty and security of coal means that it will continue as a pillar of our electrical generation system as we bridge to a nuclear future.”

Harrison also said that the coal-fired power plants in the province are in “remarkably viable condition given their age.” He said that Boundary Dam 4, a coal-fired power unit at a plant near Estevan, will be the first to be restored. Boundary Dam has 5 units with a combined generation capacity of 531 MW.