Pace Canada, a U.K. company specializing in green energy, is moving its corporate Canadian headquarters from B.C. to Calgary.
The company announced the relocation in a press release last week, though a new address has not yet been established.
Critical to Pace’s decision was the province’s commitment to developing green energy.
“We have worked very closely with the Government of Alberta and see how we can bring our international experience in clean energy to the market across solar, energy storage and importantly green hydrogen as the market develops,” said Rob Denman, managing director for Pathfinder Clean Energy, in an email from London. “We are advancing our first green hydrogen project in the U.K. currently and are excited to bring this experience to the Alberta market.”
Pace has been in operation in Alberta since 2018 and currently has two solar projects in development in the province — a 47-megawatt project near the Joffre petrochemical complex east of Red Deer, and a smaller 8 MWp project near Youngstown east of Hanna. Both are expected to be up and running by the end of the year.
Power generated from the two projects will flow into the provincial electrical grid and will reduce carbon dioxide by 16,000 tonnes per year and provide enough power for 22,000 houses across the 25-year life expectancy of the project.
Denman said Pace is in the advanced stages of two more projects and is looking towards further expansion over the next couple of years in Alberta.
He was unable to comment on the number of jobs that will be created through moving to Calgary or their projects.
Jobs, Economy and Innovation Minister Doug Schweitzer said Pace is an important addition to the province’s growing green tech portfolio, which also includes companies like Greengate Power, BluEarth Renewables and Bullfrog Power.
“The big strategic move with Pace establishing their headquarters in Calgary is that it provides access to capital and that creates the investment opportunities and the jobs on the ground, both to build projects as well as to operate projects,” he said.
Rick Christiaanse, CEO of Invest Alberta, said they have been working with Pace in Europe for several years and he believes this investment will lead to more investments by other European companies looking for a Canadian inroad.
“Companies like hanging out where other companies are, so this allows for that to occur,” he said.
Christiaanse said companies are being sold on three pillars — the talent available in province, the welcoming business and regulatory environment, and the momentum of deals already announced with other major companies like Amazon.
Twitter: @JoshAldrich03
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