TransAlta
Encyclopedia
TransAlta Corporationis a power generation and wholesale marketing
company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.
TransAlta maintains a low-to-moderate risk profile by operating a highly contracted portfolio of assets in Canada
, the United States
and Australia
. TransAlta's focus is to efficiently operate our geothermal
, wind
, hydro
, natural gas
and coal
facilities in order to provide our customers with a reliable, low-cost source of power. For 100 years, TransAlta has been a contributor to our communities. TransAlta is recognized for its leadership on sustainability
by the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, the FTSE4Good Index and the Jantzi Social Index. TransAlta is Canada's largest investor-owned renewable energy provider.
Generation summary:
Net Capacity Owned by Fuel Type
(in operation and in development)
Net Capacity Owned by Geography
(in operation and development)
At the end of 2010, TransAlta became the first company to own and operate more than 1,000 MW of installed wind capacity in Canada - almost 30 per cent of the country's total.
Wholesale marketing
The consumption and production of marketed food are spatially separated. Production is primarily in rural areas whilst consumption is in urban areas. Agricultural marketing is the process that overcomes this separation, allowing produce to be moved from an area of surplus to one of need...
company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.
TransAlta maintains a low-to-moderate risk profile by operating a highly contracted portfolio of assets in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. TransAlta's focus is to efficiently operate our geothermal
Geothermal
Geothermal is related to energy and may refer to:* The geothermal gradient and associated heat flows from within the Earth- Renewable technology :...
, wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
, hydro
Hydro
Hydro may refer to:* shortened name for hydropower, derived from water** specifically hydroelectricity* a word part meaning fluid** examples are Magnetohydrodynamics and Electrohydrodynamics* a generic name for an electric utility...
, natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
and coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
facilities in order to provide our customers with a reliable, low-cost source of power. For 100 years, TransAlta has been a contributor to our communities. TransAlta is recognized for its leadership on sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
by the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, the FTSE4Good Index and the Jantzi Social Index. TransAlta is Canada's largest investor-owned renewable energy provider.
Operations
Reliably, affordably and safely, TransAlta is helping meet the growing demand for electricity. We are a global energy leader, delivering operational excellence through a diverse and expanding portfolio of fuel sources, and the active pursuit of world-leading technology for a clean energy future.Generation summary:
- 8,245 megawatts (MW) of net capacity in operation.
- 48,614 gigawatt hours (GWh) were produced at an average plant availability of 88.9 per cent for the year ended December 31, 2010.
- Over 70 facilities in three geographies: Canada, U.S., Australia
- One surface coal mine in operation: Highvale in Alberta, Canada
Net Capacity Owned by Fuel Type
(in operation and in development)
| Type | Net Capacity |
|---|---|
| Coal | 52% |
| Gas | 22% |
| Wind | 13% |
| Hydro | 11% |
| Geothermal | 2% |
Net Capacity Owned by Geography
(in operation and development)
| Geography | Net Capacity |
|---|---|
| Canada | 74% |
| United States | 23% |
| Australia | 3% |
At the end of 2010, TransAlta became the first company to own and operate more than 1,000 MW of installed wind capacity in Canada - almost 30 per cent of the country's total.
Energy Marketing Solutions for Business
Energy cost. Security of supply. Environmental footprint. These are all top of mind for those responsible for operations, controlliing costs or envrionmental measures at organizations. TransAlta offers the following professional energy services:- Commercial & Industrial Energy Services
- Wholesale Energy Solutions
- Green Energy Sustainable Solutions
- Energy Management Services