CIB Backs First Nation-Led 32.4 MW Wicehtowak Solar Project with USD29.7 million Loan

The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and George Gordon Development Limited (GGDL), the economic development arm of George Gordon First Nation (GGFN), have reached financial close on a CA$42 million (USD29.7 million) repayable loan towards 32.4 MW Wicehtowak Solar.

Located in the Rural Municipality of Dufferin, Saskatchewan, on Treaty 4 territory, Wicehtowak Solar will deliver 32.4 MW of renewable energy, supplying power to the Saskatchewan grid and delivering energy directly to the nearby K+S Potash Canada mine. The project will be under a 30-year virtual power purchase agreement with Saskatchewan Power Corporation’s Renewable Access Service program—marking the first development under this initiative. 

Comprising 66,175 bifacial solar panels, the Wicehtowak Solar project is engineered to optimize power generation by capturing sunlight from both sides of each module, resulting in an estimated annual reduction of 21,686 tonnes of carbon emissions. The facility will provide K+S Potash Canada with a reliable and sustainable power supply, supporting the company’s long-term operational and expansion goals for its potash mine. Developed under the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Initiative (ICII), the project reflects the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s commitment to investing in partnerships that deliver tangible, lasting benefits for Indigenous communities. Notably, Wicehtowak Solar marks the CIB’s first fully First Nation–owned clean energy project.