Samsung, Connor, Clark & Lunn and Six Nations announce completion of largest solar project in Canada

GRAND RENEWABLE SOLAR PROJECT HAS CREATED HUNDREDS OF LOCAL JOBS IN THE HALDIMAND COMMUNITY

TORONTO, July 21, 2015 /CNW/ - Samsung Renewable Energy, Inc. (Samsung), Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure and Six Nations of the Grand River today announced the completion of construction of the 100 megawatt (MW) Grand Renewable Solar Project (GRS), the largest operating solar energy project of its kind in Canada and one of the largest in North America. Construction of the project began in September 2013 and was completed on schedule by a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian Solar Inc. (Canadian Solar).

The GRS project has created significant economic benefits for the Province of Ontario. The project incorporates solar panels and inverters manufactured in Ontario by Canadian Solar and SMA, respectively, and has employed hundreds of people from across the province in every aspect of the project – from manufacturing and assembly of the solar panels and inverters, to site construction, installation, and now operations. An average of 240 workers and a peak of 450 were on site during construction, including local subcontractors that were utilized for various aspects of the project.

"Samsung and our partners are proud to complete this fourth project under our Green Energy Investment Agreement with the government of Ontario," said Shin Kim, CEO of Samsung C&T. "This project is now producing one hundred megawatts of clean energy, and has created hundreds of high-skilled jobs and millions of dollars in community investment, all of which are benefiting real people in Haldimand and across the province."

"We are delighted to have completed construction of this significant project", added Matt O'Brien, President of Ontario-based Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure. "I'd like to extend my thanks to our investment partners, Samsung and Six Nations, our construction partner, Canadian Solar, and our development partner, CarbonFree Technology, for their leadership and support in achieving this important milestone. With approximately 250 MWs of solar projects in our growing infrastructure portfolio, Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure is proud to be one of the largest owners of solar assets in Canada."    

The Grand Renewable Solar project will assist Ontario in reducing its dependence on fossil fuel energy as it will produce enough clean energy to meet the needs of over 17,000 households. Compared to coal-fired energy generation, each year the GRS project will offset approximately 162,000 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of taking 29,610 cars off the roads.

"This day represents a historic day achieved only after investing four years of hard work with our partners Samsung and Connor, Clark and Lunn", said Ava Hill, Chief of Six Nations Elected Council. "During this time, we have gotten to know each other by spending time learning about our unique cultures and leveraging these insights to achieve a mutually beneficial partnership that adds value to our collective environment. What we have achieved is a template for many more green energy projects in the Haldimand Tract. The fact that the Grand Renewable solar project provides green energy for our coming generations is a significant accomplishment for all of us to celebrate."

About Samsung Renewable Energy, Inc.

Samsung Renewable Energy is creating clean, renewable energy for generations to come. Together with our partners, Samsung is making a $5-billion investment in Ontario to create the world's largest cluster of wind and solar power. Our investments will create 900 direct renewable energy manufacturing jobs and 9,000 high-skilled jobs in Ontario. Built on Samsung C&T's commercial and technical expertise and the success of its renewable energy projects in several countries – including the United States and Europe – Samsung is creating real jobs, through real investment, benefitting real people. For more information, please visit www.samsungrenewableenergy.ca.

About Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure

Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure invests in middle-market infrastructure and infrastructure-like assets with highly attractive risk-return characteristics, long lives and the potential to generate stable cash flow. Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure is a part of Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group Ltd., a multi-boutique asset management firm whose affiliates collectively manage over $60 billion in assets. For more information, please visit www.cclgroup.com.

About Six Nations

Six Nations of the Grand River is the most populated first nation community in all of Canada and is the only place on earth where all of the six nations live together. The Six Nations Territory is 46,500 acres which is home to over 13,000 Mohawk, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca and Tuscarora nation members. In 1995, Six Nations began to seek from the Crown of Canada a full accounting of the disposition of its land interests which originally comprised 950,000 acres of land acquired through the Haldimand Treaty of 1784. In recent times, Six Nations has commenced consultation and negotiation with renewable energy proponents which has thus far generated a direct and indirect economic interest in over 400 MW of renewable energy power generation in the region. For more information please visit www.sixnations.ca.

SOURCE Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure

Tim Smitheman, Manager - Government and Public Relations, Samsung Renewable Energy, Inc., [phone], [email protected]; Greig McKenzie, Chief Marketing Officer, Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group Ltd., [phone], [email protected]; Matt Jamieson, CEO/President, Six Nations of Grand River Development Corporation, [phone], [email protected]