Montem Resources Ltd (ASX:MR1) continues to drive the Tent Mountain Renewable Energy Complex (TM-REX) in Canada towards development with an Energy Transition Steering Committee established and plans progressing for front-end engineering and design (FEED) work.
The TM-REX project in Alberta will consist of 320 MW Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES), 100 MW Green Hydrogen Electrolyser and 100 MW Wind Farm (offsite) and has the potential to be Canada’s first large-scale green hydrogen production facility.
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Over the course of the next 12 months, the steering committee will move the project through the FEED process driven by appointed experts in engineering, project management, environment, permitting, indigenous consultation and engagement and green hydrogen.
Steering committee
This committee is chaired by experienced Canadian power industry executive Will Bridge and also includes:
- Andrew Keeping, Boost Energy - Committee member, market and economic advisor and project manager;
- Bob Bell - Committee member and executive sponsor; and
- Peter Doyle - Committee member, strategy and corporate governance.
The committee is overseeing various workstreams to drive the FEED project phase. These streams are being undertaken by a team of experts appointed by Montem, including:
- Novel Power (Mohsen Moeini) - Engineering;
- GHD - Green hydrogen production facility;
- Yellow Bike Solutions (Kari McDonald) - Environment and permitting; and
- Golder (Dave Lawrence) - Indigenous consultation and engagement.
Specific experience
Montem managing director and CEO Peter Doyle said: “Each member of the advisory team brings specific experience applicable to the TM-REX project.
"Boost Energy is an experienced power industry project management team and has already set up strong process controls. Mohsen Moeini is a specialist hydropower engineer with extensive international experience designing pump-hydro projects.
"Kari McDonald’s environmental and permitting experience in Alberta includes working on another major Alberta pump-hydro project. David Lawrence has extensive Indigenous Peoples engagement and consultation experience from his involvement in multiple energy projects in western Canada.
"Consultancy GHD has widespread international experience in the design and construction of energy production facilities and is a leader in strategy development for the green hydrogen transition.”
Montem’s decision to transition Tent Mountain to become a renewable energy complex followed separate independent expert studies in 2019 and 2021 which demonstrated the project’s strong viability to host a renewable energy complex.
FEED work
The company’s focus is to complete the FEED over the next 18 months, culminating in EPC tender evaluation in the first half of 2023.
FEED work will focus on a detailed geotechnical evaluation, leveraging existing geotechnical data collected during the Tent Mountain Mine Redevelopment Project Feasibility Study.
It will also focus on the detailed site-specific design required for the reservoirs, penstocks and the powerhouse, as well as the routing for the powerlines.
Connection to the province’s electricity grid is a project requirement to enable the distribution of power produced by the TM-REX and to draw the power required to recharge the PHES.
Interconnection process
The interconnection process is managed by the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) and regulated by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC).
Montem will work with AESO over the next six months to complete Stage 1 of the interconnection process which establishes the project’s scope and plan to connect to the grid.
Stage 2 of the interconnection process is the assessment stage which includes completing an engineering study on the interconnection and a facilities design and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
The company will then initiate Stage 3 of the interconnection process which involves preparation of the application to the AUC.
Redevelopment review
On November 25 the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) began their review of the Tent Mountain Mine Redevelopment Project. IAAC accepted Montem’s Initial Project Description submission and published it for public comment.
This is the first step in the Federal review process, which is followed by a 20-day public review period. The company is then able to address the issues raised during this public comment period.
On November 29 the company received approval for additional exploration drilling at Tent Mountain. This will facilitate further bulk sampling for customer trials and allow additional geotech drilling to be undertaken for the PHES project.
“Unique position”
Doyle said: “We welcome this next step by IAAC in assessing Tent Mountain. Montem continues to review our development options for Tent Mountain. The company has a rare opportunity to have two different pathways to monetize our assets at Tent Mountain.
"The site has clear potential as a renewable energy complex, with unique features making it ideal for this type of development. Importantly there is also a very valuable remaining coal resource at Tent Mountain.
"We eagerly await the findings of the Alberta Coal Policy review, with the independent committee due to produce its reports by December 31. We are pleased that the AER recently approved our next drilling program, showing the unique position Tent Mountain has under its Category 4 land designation.”