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BBA Consultants, an engineering and professional services firm for the mining, energy and natural resources sectors, received four honours at this year's Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (ACEC) National Awards Gala.
The two projects recognized were Mangrove Lithium’s refining plant in British Columbia and the Saa/Se solar farm in Yukon. Both projects received an Award of Excellence and a special award at the gala. In addition, Mangrove Lithium picked up the Catalyst Award, and Saa/Se received the Engineering a Better Canada Award.
ACEC’s awards are meant to celebrate the lasting impact of engineering projects across Canada. In total, 16 Awards of Excellence were handed out, and four firms were presented with Special Awards for technical innovation, environmental stewardship, and improvement of Canadians’ social, economic or cultural quality of life. The gala was held on Oct. 29 in Ottawa.
Mangrove’s commercialization
Mangrove Lithium, with the support of BBA, commissioned North America’s first electrochemical lithium refining facility in Delta, B.C. With an annual capacity of 1,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium, the facility can support the production of about 25,000 electric vehicles per year.
ACEC’s jury recognized Mangrove’s refinery and its role in clean energy as vital to the Canadian economy, awarding it the Catalyst Award in addition to its Award of Excellence.
Stéphane Charest, BBA’s vice-president for energy and chemicals, said the award “highlights our teams' expertise and commitment, as well as the trust Mangrove Lithium placed in us to help achieve a significant milestone for the battery supply chain.”
Solar shift
The Saa/Se solar farm project was led by the White River First Nation and Copper Niisüü Limited Partnership. The 1.9-megawatt solar power plant now supplies more than half of Beaver Creek, Yukon’s annual electricity needs, saving between 320,000 and 350,000 litres of diesel each year.
Due to its impact on the community, ACEC’s jury highlighted the project as a leading example of Indigenous-led efforts to move First Nations communities away from diesel power and toward greater ownership of their electrical infrastructure.
François Vitez, BBA’s vice-president of power and renewables, said the project demonstrates “what renewable energy can bring to northern and remote communities.”