NNSL (Jun 01/98) - Northland Utilities is considering power partnerships in Dory Point and Kakisa. Such partnerships would build on waste heat successes at Trout Lake and Snare Lakes, Northland said.

Dory Point is near Fort Providence while Kakisa is between Hay River and Fort Providence.

"Waste heat recovery programs in Trout Lake and Snare Lakes are demonstrating that private public partnerships work to keep costs down in small communities," Northlands said.

Northland partners with the GNWT plan to use waste heat for public buildings, Northland operations manager Duane Morgan said.

The GNWT buys waste heat from Northland's diesel generating plant to heat its Department of Public Works garages in Trout Lake, east of Fort Liard near the B.C. border, and Snare Lake, located about 225 kilometres north of Yellowknife.

In both communities, the arrangement is better for the environmental. Emissions generated from transporting fuel are reduced while lower fuel storage volumes mean lower risk of spills, he said.

Waste heat recovery also lowers greenhouse gas production.

"Trout and Snare are similar. They are both isolated from the NWT highway system and as a result, fuel needs to be transported in on winter roads and stored in the community to avoid high-cost air freight charges," Morgan said.

Each community is served by three small diesel generators located close to public buildings.

The public works garage waste heat recovery project in Trout Lake started in 1987. The Snare Lakes project was started in 1996.

Morgan said these two projects are examples of how private and public interests can be mutually beneficial.