Canada’s Pembina Pipeline has reportedly reached a final investment decision (FID) on a 932-megawatt (MW) behind-the-meter combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) project dedicated to data centers in Sturgeon County, Alberta. The plant has been named the Greenlight Electricity Centre (GLEC).
The project is designed to allow future expansion up to a maximum of 1,864MW. It will use two Siemens Energy SGT6-8000H gas turbines and two SST6-5000 steam turbines, with engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) to be carried out by a consortium of Aecon Group and Técnicas Reunidas. Ownership is reported to be split between Pembina (47.5%), Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners (47.5%), and Kineticor (5%).
Phase 1 generation capacity is 932MW (expandable to a maximum of 1,864MW), with total project cost of approximately C$4.6 billion (Pembina’s net share about C$2.3 billion). Roughly 85% of costs are locked in under fixed-price contracts, with commercial operation targeted for the second half of 2030.
As data center electricity demand surges, investment in dedicated power generation facilities to serve that demand has been spreading across North America, and this project is regarded as a representative example of that trend.
Unlike conventional grid-connected power plants, data-center-dedicated plants are characterized by large-scale, fixed-price contract structures tied to a single offtaker, a feature seen as attracting infrastructure investors. If this model spreads further, demand for gas turbine manufacturers and EPC contractors is expected to grow accordingly.
Points to watch include actual construction progress, whether the expansion option to 1,864MW is exercised, and the finalization of power supply agreements with the data center offtaker.