Pembina Sanctions Greenlight Gas-Fired Power Plant for Meta Data Center in Alberta
Pembina Pipeline Corp. has sanctioned the Greenlight Electricity Centre (GLEC), a behind-the-meter gas-fired power plant that will supply a 1-Gw Meta data center in Alberta, Oil & Gas Journal reports. Chris Scherman, Pembina’s chief marketing and strategy officer, told the publication the project is expected to be Canada’s first large-scale gas-to-power development tied to a major data center.
Market Impact
The 932-Mw combined-cycle plant, sanctioned in July 2026, will sit in Sturgeon County within Alberta’s Industrial Heartland alongside Meta’s adjacent $13 billion (Can.) data center. GLEC has cleared all major regulatory approvals, including permission to expand capacity to 1,864 Mw, and targets an in-service date in the second half of 2030. Total project cost is pegged at roughly $4.6 billion (Can.), including $600 million (Can.) in interest during construction, with about 85% of the $4 billion (Can.) capital cost estimate locked in under fixed-price agreements.
Siemens Energy will supply two SGT6-8000H gas turbines and two SST6-5000 KN steam turbines paired with SGen6-3000W generators, under a fixed-price agreement and a long-term service pact covering equipment delivery and project execution. Pembina and Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners each hold a 47.5% stake in the Greenlight partnership, with Calgary-based Kineticor Asset Management holding the remaining 5%. The project is underpinned by a 20-year tolling agreement with Meta and will draw about 150 MMcfd of natural gas, with transportation capacity secured through open seasons on Pembina’s proposed Alliance Heartland Expansion and TC Energy’s NGTL system.
Scherman said Pembina is evaluating further gas-to-power opportunities, including marketing a second GLEC phase and assessing additional Industrial Heartland land, as Alberta’s “bring your own power” model for data centers gains traction.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- No EPC contractor has been named publicly yet for GLEC. Electrical, mechanical, and E&I subs serving the Edmonton/Sturgeon County region should monitor Pembina and Greenlight partnership announcements for contractor selection ahead of the second-half 2030 in-service target.
- Siemens Energy has been confirmed as turbine and generator supplier under a fixed-price deal, meaning equipment procurement is locked in. Subs bidding into balance-of-plant work should track construction sequencing tied to that Siemens delivery schedule rather than assume open equipment bids.
- Pembina’s related Alliance Heartland Expansion Project, a 350,000 cfd pipeline delivering gas to a Fort Saskatchewan meter station, targets a fourth-quarter 2029 in-service date, subject to Canada Energy Regulator approval. Pipeline construction and tie-in crews should watch for CER approval timing as the trigger for mobilization.
- With Pembina flagging potential support for the Alberta Carbon Grid and GLEC being built “carbon capture ready,” subs with CCS-related experience (piping, instrumentation, compression) should track ACG Industrial Heartland hub developments as a longer-term bid opportunity once GLEC construction advances.
