SaskEnergy's Natural Gas Regulating Station #1

The City of Saskatoon, through its electric utility - Saskatoon Light & Power, and SaskEnergy Incorporated intend to develop a Turboexpander Power Generation Facility at SaskEnergy's Natural Gas Regulating Station #1, located west of the City's Landfill on Dundonald Avenue. Power from the facility will be fed to Saskatoon Light & Power's electrical grid.

SaskEnergy receives high pressure natural gas from a transmission pipeline. The gas pressure must be reduced before it can safely be distributed to homes and businesses within the City.

A turboexpander is a turbine through which a high pressure gas is expanded (i.e. its pressure is reduced). Energy is produced in the process. That energy, which will otherwise be lost, can be captured and used to drive a generator.

 Turboexpander Generator

In this project, the turboexpander will recover the energy which occurs as natural gas pressure is reduced. This energy, in the form of mechanical shaft power, will be used to drive a generator to produce electricity.

When the pressure of the natural gas is reduced, it is accompanied by a drop in temperature. If the natural gas cools below a certain point, the moisture in the gas can freeze up and cause problems in transportation. To deal with this, heat by-product from an adjacent Landfill Gas Power Generation Facility will be used to pre-heat the natural gas before the pressure and temperature reduction through the turboexpander.

The Turboexpander Power Generation Facility will produce power with zero emissions, by recovering pressure energy and heat energy that would otherwise go un-used.

This project has the potential to provide enough electrical power to meet the needs of up to 600 homes. The capital cost of the project is approximately $3 million, and it will be operational by the fall of 2013. The project is funded equally by the City of Saskatoon and SaskEnergy Incorporated.

A Public Information Meeting was held on Wednesday, November 24, 2010. Detailed design of the facility is underway. The earliest that the facility could be operational is the fall of 2013.

  Frequently Asked Questions  (PDF)

Brochure designed by the Aden Bowman Collegiate Earthkeepers students for the Turboexpander Project.