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A Calgary-based company has received regulatory approval to build a massive solar farm, the largest facility of its type in Canada, in southern Alberta.

Greengate Power Corp., which has already developed close to 600 MW of wind power projects in Alberta and Ontario, plans to begin construction on its Travers Solar project in 2020. The $500-million project will be located on 1,900 hectares of grazing land near the village of Lomond in Vulcan County. It’s projected to generate 400 MW of electricity, making it one of the world’s largest operating solar energy projects.

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When complete, company CEO Dan Balaban said the facility will have 1.5 million solar panels and will provide enough electricity to power 100,000 homes. Construction is expected to take place over two years and create “several hundred” jobs, with about a dozen permanent jobs after the solar farm becomes operational in 2021.

Greengate Power is also the developer behind the 300 MW Blackspring Ridge Wind Project, currently the largest operating wind energy project in Canada. Balaban said the Alberta Utilities Commission’s approval of the Travers Solar project continues the company’s successful track record.

“We anticipate that Travers Solar will bring significant investment, employment and clean renewable energy to Alberta while strengthening the province’s position as a global energy and environmental leader,” Balaban said in a news release.

astephenson@postmedia.com

Twitter: @AmandaMsteph