Four First Nations want to power an Ontario gold mine with an 8.5 MW solar farm - the permit takes longer than the build
Kenogamisis Energy, owned by four First Nations near Geraldton, Ontario, plans an 8.5 MW solar farm of up to 14,000 panels to supply Equinox Gold's Greenstone mine. Environmental approval typically takes 12 to 16 months and is about halfway done; construction could start in 2027. No price or contract terms are published.
A gold mine in northwestern Ontario may soon buy part of its power from its neighbours. Four First Nations near Geraldton have teamed up to build a solar farm for it.
Kenogamisis Energy Corporation is 100% owned by Animbiigoo Zaagi'igan Anishinaabek, Aroland First Nation, Ginoogaming First Nation and Long Lake #58 First Nation. It proposes to supply 8.5 MW of electricity to Equinox Gold's Greenstone Gold Mine, Northern Ontario Business reported on 6 October. The Greenstone Solar Farm would be up to 14,000 panels across 12 hectares - about 17 soccer fields, by our rough maths.
Workplace meaning first. The slow part is not the panels. It is the paperwork. The project sits in Ontario's renewable energy approval process, run by the environment ministry. "We're tied in or limited by the REA process, which is quite lengthy, typically taking 12 to 16 months," Kenogamisis CEO Horis Mansuri said. They are about halfway through. Construction could start anywhere from March or April 2027 to October or November 2027, he said.
Analogy: it is like opening a café. Fitting out the shop takes weeks. Getting the council permits can take most of a year. If you are a remote site planning on cheaper daytime power, count the permit months into your timeline, not just the build.
The mine angle is the useful one for buyers. Greenstone had a projected 14-year life when it poured its first gold in 2024. A remote industrial site with a fixed life is a buyer that knows exactly how long it needs power, and the supplier lives next door.
Good: Local owners, a named industrial customer, and a real site size. Mansuri expects 30 to 32 full-time-equivalent jobs during construction and about two once it runs, and says the communities gain the experience to do more energy projects. The company estimates about 4,900 tonnes of carbon dioxide avoided a year.
Bad: No price, no contract length and no battery are published. The story does not say how the power reaches the mine - straight across a private line or through the grid - so the deal shape is unknown. Approval is not yet granted.
Ugly: The timeline. A mine with a 14-year life from 2024 and a solar farm that might start building in late 2027 leaves a short window to earn back the panels. What happens to the solar farm after the mine closes is not covered in the reporting - that is our question, not their answer. The final public meeting is on 3 December 2026 at the Royal Canadian Legion in Geraldton.
Source: Gary Rinne, Northern Ontario Business, 6 Oct 2026 - 'It's a game-changer': CEO on proposed Greenstone solar project. Owners, 8.5 MW, 14,000 panels, 12 hectares, 14-year mine life, 12 to 16 months, jobs, 4,900 tonnes, timing, meeting date and quotes as published. The soccer-field comparison and the payback-window point are ours. No price or contract terms published.